2.2.1 Sample of the insured population pension fund records (VSKT)
The sample of all actively insured person of a specific year, called ‘Sample of the insured
populations records’ is the best source for acquired rights in the public pension scheme. The
longitudinal information is presented in the same format as in the ‘Completed Insured Life-
Course’ data, but sample includes 500.000 people from the insured population aged between
17 and 67. Foreigners are over sampled because, but they have a high percentage of
incomplete records because of migration. Transnational mobility causes in this case a severe
limit to the collection of complete life-course information.
The social situations are recoded from the original mainframe data into similar social
situations as in the ‘Completed Insured Life-Courses’ described above. Future old age income
is estimated in the data on the basis of the contributions paid up to the time of sampling. The
estimated pension included in the data is calculated as if the insured person retired with a
disability pension for health reasons at the date of sampling. All information which is used for
the calculation of a pension from the public pension scheme is also included for this estimate.
This includes raising children, periods of education and training as well as phases of
unemployment and care-giving. The sample size and the accurate information on employment
and socially insured gainful employment make the VSKT attractive for social research, but
the lack of information on other sources of income and the household income are a drawback
for research on future old age income. A selectivity problem arises in so far as people who
were employed as life-time civil servants after less then 5 years of socially insured
employment are not registered. Self-employed professionals have on the other side very
incomplete socially insured life-course, but are often covoered by other compulsory old age
provision schemes. The selectivity problem could only be undone if all compulsory old-age
provision schemes would send their data to a common statistical collection point. For
occupational pension schemes data are still lacking, but the Federal Statistical Office is
conducting a feasibility study about the future collection of data on this retirement income
source.
2.2.2 Combination process generated with survey data in Pension provision schemes in
Germany (AVID)
The last decades have shown a diversification and growing heterogeneity of (empirical) life
courses in Germany as well as in many other welfare states. Facing this evolution the German
Pension Insurance and the Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs commissioned to
carry out an elaborate study on future old age incomes with a strong biographical focus named
“Retirement Pension Provision Schemes in Germany” (Altersvorsorge in Deutschland).