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– Home – Disability insurance – Reduced earning capacity pension – Requirements
The most important facts in brief
Almost two million people in Germany are due to a reduction in earning capacity no longer able to earn your living itself. illnesses or an accident can lead to them being reduced to financial government support are dependent in the form of a reduced earning capacity pension. – For the reduction in earning capacity pension there are two types of prerequisites. Affected persons must have certain insurance-legal conditions fulfill. In addition, the medical evidence be provided that the earning capacity is limited. – Among the most common causes of reduced earning capacity are depression. Mental illnesses have a comprehensive effect on the occupational performance of those affected.
Reduced earning capacity pension – an overview
According to Stiftung Warentest, about 1.8 million people in Germany are currently receiving disability pensions. These people can no longer participate in working life or only to a limited extent. In this context, the statutory pension insurance recognizes the full reduction in earning capacity an, if concerning no more even three hours daily an occupation to exercise can. As partially incapacitated applies to those who can work a maximum of three to six hours a day.
Here the legislator changed to the 01. January 2001 the legal basis. Namely, that the reduction in earning capacity is not only related to the originally learned or practiced profession, respectively becomes. The legislator stipulates that retraining measures take precedence. Thus the reduction in earning capacity pension receives only, who does not work in any profession can work any longer.
This article discusses the conditions that must be met in order to be able to apply for an early pension due to a health impairment. This includes insurance requirements for a reduced earning capacity pension. Just like the medical reasons, which lead to the application for early retirement in the first place.
insurance law requirements
Not everyone can apply for state support for loss of earnings due to illness. Finally, the monthly salary replacement is financed from the contributions to the state pension insurance. Accordingly, applicants must also have made a certain number of contributions themselves.
– Disabled persons must member for at least five years be covered by the statutory pension insurance. – During this time at least 36 months of compulsory contributions have been paid in.
Nevertheless, the legislator leaves here Exceptions to. Finally, there are various groups of persons who were not able to fulfill the waiting period. For this reason there are special.
Special rules for the waiting periods
As waiting periods count according to the pension insurance:
– periods of child-rearing – periods of nursing care – periods of voluntary contribution – depending on the case, sick pay and unemployment benefit or comparable social benefits – pension equalization (divorce) – periods during which the insured person was employed without insurance coverage
This means that if the above-mentioned periods can be proven, extend the five-year waiting period in the period before the disability. Accordingly, the three years membership fee can then usually be met.
Special rules for young professionals
The risk of an illness or accident does not only affect experienced employees. Trainees or young professionals can also be affected. In these cases, special rules also apply with regard to waiting periods and contribution payments.
– In the case of accidents or illnesses due to the occupational activity is already sufficient a paid contribution from. – If the accident happens outside the period of employment or if the illness is not due to the occupation, the pension insurance sets twelve monthly contributions prerequisite to be able to apply for a disability pension.
special rules after the end of training or studies
In the first six years of professional life after completion of training or studies, the full reduction in earning capacity pension can also be applied for if less than five years of statutory pension insurance can be presented. In other words, incapacitated career starters must be insured prior to the onset of incapacity for work two years of insurance have been. During these two years twelve months contribution period Prerequisite.
Medical condition
Various reasons lead employees to apply for a reduced earning capacity pension. These include Accidents, which severely impair physical performance or lead to a disability. But medical reasons can also make it impossible to participate in working life. Here belong physical and mental diagnoses among the causes.
The pension insurance leaves an exact assessment of the situation to the medical experts. Accordingly, affected persons can ame that their health situation will first be assessed by the responsible physicians (general practitioners, specialists) is assessed and evaluated. For the pension insurance, various application forms must be filled out, which describe the state of health. There is also a Self-assessment questionnaire the personal condition.
Here you can find the pension insurance application forms.
Which diseases are eligible for a reduced earning capacity pension??
When assessing earning capacity, the German pension insurance relies on the expert opinion of their appointed physicians and medical practitioners. These are responsible for the evaluation of the medical reports. In addition, they may conduct their own examinations. On the basis of the expertise of their experts, the case worker then the decision, whether an application is approved or rejected. Often a gauntlet for insured persons. Whereby not seldom the feeling of a certain arbitrariness arises. After all, more than half of all applications for a disability pension are rejected at the first attempt.
Some of the rejections arise for reasons that are incomprehensible to the person with the condition. Do not take the decision personally despite your difficult situation. If, in your opinion, the requirements for a reduced earning capacity pension are met, file an appeal. If necessary, request inspection of the files and stay on the ball. Deal with Pension consultants at your side, you are better off in any case than trying to handle your case on your own. Think of your health!
Reduced earning capacity pension because of depression
According to the statistical report of the German pension insurance was also in 2017 the The most common reason for applying for a reduced earning capacity pension is depression. In 2017 alone, insurers recorded about 40 percent of newly disabled workers due to depression.
Depression is a defined mental illness. However, the symptoms are particularly varied, so that the disease is sometimes difficult to classify. The German Depression Aid defines the disease as follows:
"From a medical-therapeutic point of view, depression is a serious illness, which affects the way the person thinks, feels and acts, is accompanied by disturbances in bodily functions and causes considerable suffering." Stiftung Deutsche Depressionshilfe
The symptoms manifest themselves in a prolonged low mood. In this case, both the thoughts and the motivational ability are inhibited. Affected people lose interest in their environment. In addition, depression is accompanied by physical symptoms. These include appetite disorders, sleep disorders and various pain conditions. Suicidal thoughts are also part of the clinical picture in the course of a severe depression. Because of this personal burdens are those affected with particularly profound impairments no longer able to participate in working life.
In another chapter, you will find advice on how to deal with a Refusal of the reduction in earning capacity pension with depressions handle.
Reduced earning capacity pension due to a restricted musculoskeletal system
With a physical limitation, nearly 15 percent applied for a pension in 2017 due to their reduced earning capacity. These include herniated discs or other back problems. Just like osteoporosis, arthrosis and arthritis.
Instead of these illnesses being generally recognized as reducing earning capacity, the pension insurance first of all relies on rehabilitation measures. As a general rule "Rehab before pension". The medical rehabilitation can be carried out on an outpatient basis near your home. Alternatively, follow-up rehabilitations are also included. weaning treatments on the rehab plan. Does the occupational rehabilitation do not lead to success, The pension insurance then ultimately approves the early pension after all.
Reduced earning capacity pension due to a cancer illness
Also about 15 percent of those newly reduced in earning capacity in 2017 suffer from cancer. Ongoing Therapies and medication are responsible for the reduced capacity to work. In addition, the psyche understandably also suffers from the disease.
Nevertheless, the recognition of a reduction in earning capacity should not be the primary goal. Finally, in the case of a treatable tumor, the occupational activity also maintain the structure of everyday life and thus be a support for the patient.
Physician and patient should consider together which path is best. In some cases, the Preservation of the job in the foreground, For the time after a successful therapy. Then the reduction in earning capacity pension should not be applied for. Finally, when a reduced earning capacity pension is approved, the job falls away.
Reduced earning capacity pension for severely disabled people
Elderly people with a severe disability or permanently disabled people also meet the Prerequisites for the reduced earning capacity pension. Severely disabled from a degree of disability of 50 percent are considered fully incapacitated. A disability certificate can be used to prove reduced earning capacity.
For permanently disabled people, a special rule applies. Finally, in some cases, contributions to the pension insurance can not be paid. Nevertheless, the state pays a reduced earning capacity pension for this group of people. Namely after a Waiting period of 20 years. If impaired persons work, for example, in a workshop for the disabled, they can apply for a reduced earning capacity pension after 20 years.
What to do if the disability pension is rejected?
One figure that circulates around the reduced earning capacity pension is the 50 percent of rejected applications. In other words, the rejection of a pension application is part of normality and does not represent an attack on personal credibility for the time being.
Basically, experts recommend that the reduced earning capacity pension to be applied for together with a pension consultant. Finally, there are numerous applications to fill out. Beyond that in some cases catch questions of the experts provide for confusion. In any case, pension consultants know exactly what to look out for and can therefore provide effective support.
Attention: If your pension application is rejected, you should appeal immediately with your advisor!
Refusal of the reduction in earning capacity pension with depressions
Unfortunately, when depression is diagnosed, there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding earning capacity. The symptoms of this mental disorder are very diverse and individual. That is, even if the same symptoms are found in two different patients, it depends on the respective personal condition. and how it affects the individual.
To make matters worse, the pension insurance company has a moderately severe depression is not a prerequisite for a reduced earning capacity pension recognizes. Here, too, the principle of rehab before pension applies to the insurance carrier. This often means therapy for depression. However, the Institute for Knowledge in Business (IWW) states that in the case of entrenched depression, therapy rarely really helps. The person concerned can no longer meet the expectations of the labor market at all.
People who feel they can no longer cope with the demands of the labor market at all rocky road prepare yourself. An application for reduced earning capacity pension should be made in principle only if the treating physicians and therapists are of the opinion that the requirements are met. Therapies, rehabilitation measures and possibly medication are to be dutifully documented. This increases the chance, even in the case of a rejection, to still be right with an objection.
Incidentally, can also be Extending reduced earning capacity pension due to depression. However, many affected people fear the renewed approval. After all, after three years, the gauntlet between doctors, therapists and pension insurance experts has not yet been forgotten.
Work with a trusted pension advisor on all ies related to disability pensions. On the one hand, you can use the benevolent support in the difficult situation well. On the other hand, the advisor has extensive experience and knows exactly what the pension insurance company is looking for.