Future Proofing the Longevity Economy 2025

With the European Union facing an ageing population and increasing care demands, care credits in pension systems are increasingly important. These credits allow individuals to accumulate pension entitlements while providing care, ensuring that carers are not financially penalized for taking on caring responsibilities.79 –Flexible care credit systems allow individuals to tailor their pension accumulation based on their unique carer situations, acknowledging the diverse nature of caring roles. –Many member states allow carers to accumulate pension credits for time spent providing informal care to family members. –France and Germany, for example, offer pension credits for both child-rearing and caring for older people, helping to balance gender disparities. Countries are increasingly recognizing the long-term economic benefits of pension credits for carers, ensuring that career breaks do not result in severe retirement insecurity. The EU’s focus on care credits reflects a commitment to creating equitable pension systems that support carers throughout the stages of life, from early parenthood to caring for older people.Care credits in pension systems in the European Union Future-Proofing the Longevity Economy: Innovations and Key Trends 35