As of: March 28, 2024, 4:42 p.m
By: Amy Walker
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Anyone who is chronically ill can retire earlier without financial disadvantages. What you need to know about it.
Berlin - In Germany, almost eight million people are considered severely disabled and therefore have a severely disabled person's ID card. In contrast to the widespread prejudice about disabled people, most of them are fully employable and integrated into the labor market: in 2021, this affected 57 percent, according to the Federal Statistical Office. What many people don't know is that a variety of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma and rheumatism can be recognized as disabilities. The relief this provides could make life easier for many people.
Get severely disabled people's cards and retire earlier
According to the social association VdK, more than a third of all people in Germany have a chronic illness. Exactly when an illness is considered “chronic” is controversial in medicine. However, the definition of the Joint Federal Committee of health insurance companies and doctors has agreed on this definition: Anyone who requires medical treatment for the same illness at least once a quarter is considered chronically ill. Anyone who has a chronic illness can apply for a severely disabled person's card and thereby benefit from relief and support. The following diseases, among others, can be recognized as chronic diseases:
Severely disabled and chronically ill people can retire earlier. (Symbolic image) © Eibner/Imago
diabetes
rheumatism
asthma
Cardiovascular diseases
multiple sclerosis
Back pain
Cancer diseases
Consequences of a stroke
migraine
Depression and anxiety disorders
The decisive factor for an application for severe disability is the degree of disability (GdB), which is determined by a doctor upon request. If you have a GdB of 50 or more, you are considered severely disabled and can therefore receive a severely disabled person's ID card. The lowest GdB is 20, the highest is 100. According to VdK, a severe migraine that occurs every few days and thus has a significant impact on everyday life can have a GdB of 50. Once the GdB has determined this, the severely disabled person's ID card is then applied for at the pension office.
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Retirement at 63: Severely disabled people retire earlier
Anyone who has a severely disabled person's ID card can receive various benefits and compensation for disadvantages. In addition to tax relief and special leave, severely disabled people can also retire two years earlier after 35 years of insurance - without any financial deductions. If you accept less pension, you can retire even earlier. For those born in 1954, this means a pension at the age of 63 without any reduction in pension and at the age of 60, those who accept a reduction of 10.8 percent. The following table summarizes which year of birth corresponds to which early retirement:
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vintage |
Retirement age with disability certificate |
|---|---|
1952 |
63 |
1953 |
63 |
1954 |
63 |
1955 |
63 |
1956 |
63 |
1957 |
63 |
1958 |
64 |
1959 |
64 |
1960 |
64 |
1961 |
64 |
1962 |
64 |
1963 |
64 |
1964 |
65 |
Anyone who can no longer work receives a disability pension
Anyone who is no longer able to work completely or partially due to a long-term illness can receive a disability pension. The hurdles for this are very high, as the disability pension replaces income. The prerequisite is that you have not yet reached retirement age. Before a disability pension is approved, those affected must have completed various rehabilitation measures.
Meanwhile, many people dream of retiring earlier. We explain what discounts can be expected.