Apply for a disability pension
Description
The disability pension supports you if you can no longer work for health reasons and have not yet reached the regular retirement age. It replaces your income to a certain extent.
Before you can receive the disability pension, the German Pension Insurance checks whether rehabilitation can help you to make a living yourself again. These include medical and vocational rehabilitation, for example further training for professional reorientation or work aids.
The German Pension Insurance determines the extent to which you can still work on the general labour market. Depending on this, you will receive either
- a full disability pension, or
- a partial disability pension.
If, from a medical point of view, you are partially economically disabled and you are unemployed because there is no part-time job that is commensurate with performance, you can also receive a pension for full disability.
Even as a disabled person, you can receive the disability pension. This applies, for example, if you work in a special facility for the disabled and cannot work in the general labour market due to your disability.
How high your disability pension is depends on your pension account with the German Pension Insurance. Your annual pension information states what you can expect in the event of full disability. If you are only partially disabled, half of this will be taken as a basis.
For younger people, it is not only the few previous years of employment that count. Rather, there is the so-called attribution period. It is the time between the onset of the disability and a certain, legally determined age. The additional period makes you feel as if you had paid contributions up to this age.
If your pension begins before the age limit applicable to you, you will have to accept discounts. For each month you retire earlier, the discount is 0.3 percent, but a maximum of 10.8 percent overall.
If you receive a disability pension, you can earn additional income to a certain extent with a part-time job.
- If you are fully reduced in earning capacity, you may only work less than 3 hours a day. If you earn more than EUR 6,300 gross per year, your pension will no longer be paid in full or possibly not at all.
- In the case of partial disability, you may only work less than 6 hours a day. How much you are allowed to earn will be calculated individually.
An application for a disability pension does not mean that you are never allowed to work again. It is often possible to recover from serious health setbacks through targeted treatment and support. Your disability pension is usually granted for a limited period of time, for a maximum of 3 years. You will only receive a permanent pension in some exceptions.
Note: If you were born before 2 January 1961, you may be able to receive the "Partial Disability Disability Pension". This pension takes into account whether you can continue to pursue your previous profession.
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You can enter the general labour market because of illness or disability
- work less than 3 hours a day (full disability) or
- work at least 3 hours, but less than 6 hours a day (partially reduced earning capacity)
- Exception: If, from a medical point of view, you are partially economically disabled and are unemployed because there is no part-time job commensurate with performance, you may also be able to receive a pension for full disability.
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You cannot improve your earning capacity again by
- medical rehabilitation or
- vocational rehabilitation, for example retraining or work aids
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They have not yet reached the standard age limit. This is the time from which you can receive the regular standard old-age pension.
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You have been insured for at least 5 years (general waiting period)
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You have paid into the pension insurance for at least 3 years in the last 5 years before your disability.
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Exception: If you have already fulfilled the 5-year waiting period before 1 January 1984, you can also be entitled to a pension without the 3 years of compulsory contributions. The prerequisite is that in the period from 1 January 1984 until the onset of your disability, each calendar month is covered by so-called retention periods, for example through periods of voluntary contributions or, under certain conditions, periods of unemployment.
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The general waiting period of 5 years includes:
- Contribution periods (compulsory and voluntary contributions),
- replacement times,
- child-rearing periods,
- periods of pension equalisation and pension splitting between spouses,
- periods of marginal employment with payment of contributions by the employer, and
- Supplements to pay points for remuneration for minor occupations exempt from compulsory insurance.
- Under certain conditions, you can also meet the general waiting period of five years prematurely, for example if you have become less able to work due to an accident at work).
Disability for people with disabilities
If you have not fulfilled the general waiting period of 5 years before the onset of the disability, there is still the possibility to receive a pension due to full disability: You must then
- meet the waiting period of 20 years, for example have worked for 20 years in a workshop for disabled people, and
- have remained continuously and fully reduced in earnings.
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valid identity card or passport
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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
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List of your health disorders
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Names and addresses of your attending physicians
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all information on medical examinations by public bodies such as health insurance, employment agency or employers' liability insurance association
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Information about your hospital and rehabilitation stays in recent years and
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a chronological list of your professional activities
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If another person makes the request:
- Power of attorney or
- Order of the General Court
Permanent pensions:
- If you apply for a pension in the first 3 months after the onset of the disability, your pension starts from the first day of the month following the onset of your disability. If you submit your application later, the pension will only be paid from the beginning of the application month.
Fixed-term pensions:
- As a rule, a temporary pension begins at the earliest with the seventh calendar month after the onset of the disability. It is sufficient if you apply for the pension by the end of this seventh calendar month. If you submit your application later, the pension will only be paid from the beginning of the application month.
- If the determination of full disability leads to the end of your entitlement to unemployment benefit, sickness benefit or daily sickness benefit, your full disability pension may begin before the seventh calendar month following the onset of the disability.
usually about 4-5 months
Forms: yes
Online procedure possible: yes
Written form required: yes
Personal appearance required: no
You can apply for the disability pension in writing, in person or via online procedure.
Tip: Before you submit your application, you can seek advice from the German Pension Insurance.
Written pension application:
- Download the form package for pension due to reduced earning capacity on the website of the German Pension Insurance. Complete the application for an insured person's pension and the forms mentioned therein in full and compile the necessary documents.
- You can complete and sign your completed and signed application with the required documents either
- send by post to the German Pension Insurance or
- in one of the local counselling centres.
- When your pension application has arrived, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.
- The German Pension Insurance checks your application for completeness and, if necessary, requests missing documents.
- The German Pension Insurance checks the requirements for your pension entitlement and the insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance process.
- The German Pension Insurance checks your disability on the basis of your information and submitted documents. If necessary for the assessment, further medical documents are requested, such as reports or expert opinions.
- The German pension insurance clarifies other facts, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional money or receive another pension.
- If you are entitled to the disability 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 disability pension, you will receive a rejection notice stating 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 application 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 German Pension Insurance checks your application for completeness and, if necessary, requests missing documents.
- The German Pension Insurance checks the requirements for your pension entitlement and the insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance process.
- The German Pension Insurance checks your disability on the basis of your information and submitted documents. If necessary for the assessment, further medical documents will be requested (e.g. reports on findings or expert opinions).
- The German pension insurance clarifies other facts, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional money or receive another pension.
- If you are entitled to the disability 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 disability pension, you will receive a rejection notice stating 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 for a disability pension is usually recorded electronically and forwarded online.
- When your pension application has arrived, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.
- The German Pension Insurance checks the application for completeness and, if necessary, requests missing documents.
- The German Pension Insurance checks the requirements for your pension entitlement and your insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance process.
- The German Pension Insurance checks your disability on the basis of your information and submitted documents. If necessary for the assessment, further medical documents will be requested (e.g. reports on findings or expert opinions).
- The German pension insurance clarifies further facts, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional income or receive an accident pension.
- If you are entitled to a disability 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 disability pension, you will receive a rejection notice stating the reason for the rejection.
A person you trust can also apply for a pension on your behalf. Please submit a corresponding power of attorney to the German Pension Insurance. As long as the power of attorney is valid, it is addressed exclusively to your authorized person.
Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
21.03.2020
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
