Class action lawsuit
Consumer advice center is suing the pension fund against high fees
Updated February 5, 2026 – 5:17 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The consumer advice center is looking for those affected to file a class action lawsuit against the Debeka insurance company. It’s about life and pension insurance.
The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations vzbv is suing the Debeka insurance company because of its fees for premature termination of its life and pension insurance policies. The lawsuit was filed on December 12, 2025, but the Federal Office of Justice only opened the corresponding lawsuit register at the end of January. Since then, affected consumers have been able to join the lawsuit.
For this reason, the vzbv is now looking for consumers who took out life or pension insurance with Debeka after 2007 and later canceled it. The cancellation fees that the insurer is said to have charged were up to 15 percent of the coverage capital and often amounted to several thousand euros, according to the vzbv. Those affected can now get this money back if they join the lawsuit.
The Hamburg consumer advice center achieved success in this matter before the Koblenz Higher Regional Court in 2024. The court prohibited Debeka from using the cancellation deduction clause for its life and pension insurance policies. However, the judgment is not yet final and is expected to be heard before the Federal Court of Justice in March.
In the meantime, however, the claims of those affected may become statute-barred – unless they join the class action lawsuit. “Anyone who joins can secure reimbursement of the cancellation deductions that have become due since 2022. In addition, the consumer advice center wants to have the court determine that even previous deductions are not time-barred,” writes the Hamburg consumer advice center.
The cancellation deduction for life and pension insurance is not generally prohibited. In the event of early termination, this is intended to cover the insurer’s administrative expenses. In addition, the cancellation deduction compensates for possible disadvantages for the insured group. However, the cancellation deduction must be “appropriate” and easy to understand for the insured person when concluding the contract (Insurance Contract Act).
According to the consumer advice center, both requirements are not met in the Debeka case. “Debeka refers to varying and therefore unknown interest rates that its customers neither know nor can understand. They have to calculate the amount of deductions themselves at the time of termination using a complicated procedure,” write the consumer advocates. The amount of the cancellation deduction can vary depending on the situation on the capital market.
Anyone who would like to join the lawsuit can check whether they might have claims at sammel Klagen.de/verfahren/debeka. The final entry in the register must be made at the Federal Office of Justice.
