[HIGHLIGHTS] Degree of disability: which diseases are considered severe disability

According to the Federal Statistical Office, around 7.9 million severely disabled people live in Germany. Disabilities occur mainly in the elderly, according to Destatis.

People are considered severely disabled if the pension offices have awarded a so-called degree of disability (GdB) of at least 50. The application for severe disability is submitted to the pension office or the Office for Social Affairs. The GdB that those affected ultimately receive depends on the severity of the illness or disability. The recognition of a chronic illness as a disability goes back to a European Court of Justice.