Apply for a miners' compensation benefit
Description
If you lose your work in mining through no fault of your own, for example due to operational restrictions, the Knappschaftsausgleichsleistung (KAL) can support you financially.
Kal helps older miners affected by the difficult labour market situation until the start of their old-age pension. You will receive the KAL until you change to another pension and up to a maximum of the standard retirement age.
The amount of your KAL is calculated in the same way as the pension due to full disability. However, there are the following special features:
- Only your entitlements from the miners' pension insurance will be taken into account. If you have acquired further rights in the general pension insurance, for example by working outside the mining industry, these do not count. The contributions you pay to the general pension insurance are only taken into account in the case of a later pension, for example in the old-age pension.
- Performance surcharges for continuous work underground are also not taken into account.
- In contrast to the calculation of a disability pension, the KAL does not include an additional period.
Your pension amount at KAL therefore only results from the proportion attributable to your claims from the miners' pension insurance.
As a KAL recipient, it is advantageous for you to receive your old-age pension at the earliest possible date. In contrast to the KAL,
- the performance surcharge for continuous work underground, and
- Entitlements from the general pension insurance are taken into account.
The time in which you receive KAL is taken into account as the crediting period in the pension. As a result, you will receive more pension. The following old-age pensions are possible according to a KAL:
- the old-age pension for miners employed underground for many years,
- the old-age pension for severely disabled people,
- the old-age pension for long-term insured persons,
- the standard old-age pension, or
- the old-age pension for particularly long-term insured persons.
Which old-age pension is suitable for you after the KAL depends on which eligibility requirements you meet. The Knappschaft-Bahn-See will advise you on this.
If you receive the KAL,
- you may earn up to 6,300 EUR additionally. A partial payment as in the case of old-age pensions is excluded.
- you cannot receive unemployment benefit I or unemployment benefit II during this time.
If you take up re-employment in a miners' business, you can no longer receive KAL. This is true regardless of how much you earn.
- You are at least 55 years old.
Either you have:
- a period of insurance of at least 25 years with continuous work underground
or you have:
- has completed an insurance period of at least 25 years for miners' pension insurance,
- pursued employment underground, and
- abandoned the most recent work carried out underground for health reasons.
In addition, you must have been terminated through no fault of your own, for example because of
- operating restriction,
- dismissal for decommissioning,
- merger of holdings or
- other rationalisation measures.
Exception: You can also voluntarily leave the miners' business if you
- have completed an insurance period of 25 years with continuous work underground, and
- after 31 December 1971 they had to change their employment underground for health reasons (reduced employability in mining).
If you have received adjustment money, these periods are included in the insurance period. To do so, you must have last worked underground before receiving the adjustment allowance.
- valid identity card or passport
- Evidence that is not recorded in the insurance history, for example:
- Set-off certificates
- Proof of training periods
- Evidence of unemployment
- Evidence of sick leave
- if another person makes the application:
- Power of attorney or
- Order of the Court of First Instance.
If you have submitted the pension application on time, you will receive your KAL at the earliest on the first day of the month at the beginning of which all eligibility requirements are met.
If you apply for a pension later than 3 months after the end of the month in which all the eligibility requirements are met, you will receive your KAL from the first day of the month of application.
about 3 months
It is advisable to submit the pension application about 3 months before the desired start of the KAL.
Contact persons on site can be found via the information and advice centre finder of the German Pension Insurance.
Phone: 0800 1000-4800 (Toll-Free)
Service hours:
Monday to Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Forms: yes
Online procedure possible: yes
Written form required: yes
Personal appearance required: no
You can apply for the Knappschaftsausgleichsleistung (KAL) in writing, in person or online.
Written pension application:
- Download the application form for the knappschaftsausgleichsleistung on the website of the German Pension Insurance. Fill out the form completely and compile the required documents.
- You can complete and sign your completed and signed application with the required documents either
- send by post to the Knappschaft-Bahn-See or
- in one of the local counselling centres.
- When your pension application has arrived, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.
- The Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the application for completeness and requests missing documents if necessary.
- Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the requirements for your pension entitlement and your insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance process.
- The Knappschaft-Bahn-See clarifies further facts, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional income or receive an accident pension.
- If you are entitled to the KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a pension notice with information on the start, the start of the current payment and the amount. Furthermore, you will be informed about your rights and obligations.
- If you are not entitled to the KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a rejection notice with the reason for the rejection.
Pension application via online procedure:
- Go to the online portal of the German Pension Insurance and register. For this purpose, you can use your signature card, your identity card with electronic proof of identity or your electronic residence title.
- Fill out the form for the miners' compensation and upload the necessary documents. After that, submit your pension application online.
- When your pension application has arrived, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.
- The Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the application for completeness and requests missing documents if necessary.
- Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the requirements for your pension entitlement and your insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance process.
- The Knappschaft-Bahn-See clarifies further facts, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional income or receive an accident pension.
- If you are entitled to the KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a pension notice with information on the start, the start of the current payment and the amount. Furthermore, you will be informed about your rights and obligations.
- If you are not entitled to the KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a rejection notice with the reason for the rejection.
Personal application in the consultation:
- Compile the necessary documents for the application and make an appointment at an information and advice centre of the German Pension Insurance.
- In the consultation, your application is usually recorded electronically and forwarded online.
- When your pension application has arrived, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.
- The Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the application for completeness and requests missing documents if necessary.
- Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the requirements for pension entitlement and your insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance process.
- The Knappschaft-Bahn-See clarifies further facts, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional income or receive an accident pension.
- If you are entitled to the KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a pension notice with information on the start, the start of the current payment and the amount. Furthermore, you will be informed about your rights and obligations.
- If you are not entitled to the KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a rejection notice with the reason for the rejection.
The application can also be made by a person you trust. Please submit a corresponding power of attorney to the Knappschaft-Bahn-See. As long as the power of attorney is valid, Knappschaft-Bahn-See will only contact your authorized person.
§ 239 Sixth Book of the Social Code (SGB VI)
Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
02.12.2019
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
