The disability pension provides support if you are no longer able to work for health reasons and have not yet reached the regular retirement age. It replaces or supplements your income to a certain extent.

Before you can receive the disability pension, the German Pension Insurance will assess whether rehabilitation can help you regain the ability to support yourself. This includes medical and vocational rehabilitation, such as continuing education for career reorientation or assistive devices.

The German Pension Insurance determines the extent to which you can still work in the general labor market. Depending on this, you will receive either

• a pension for full reduced earning capacity or
• a pension for partial disability.

If you are medically deemed to have a partial reduction in earning capacity and are unemployed because a part-time job suitable for your abilities is not available, you may also be eligible for a full disability pension.

Even as a person with a disability, you may be eligible for a disability pension under certain circumstances. This applies, for example, if you work in a special facility for people with disabilities and, due to your disability, are unable to work in the general labor market.

Pension Amount

The amount of your disability pension depends on your work history as recorded by the German Pension Insurance. Your annual pension statement indicates what you can expect to receive in the event of full disability. If you are only partially disabled, half of that amount is used as the basis for calculation.

For younger people, it’s not just the few years of work experience they’ve had so far that count. Rather, there is what’s known as the “credited period.” This is the time between the onset of the reduced earning capacity and a specific, legally defined age. The credited period treats you as if you had continued to pay contributions until that age.

If your pension begins before the applicable retirement age, you must accept reductions. For each month you retire early, the reduction is 0.3 percent, up to a maximum of 10.8 percent in total.

Additional Income

If you receive a disability pension, you may earn additional income through a part-time job within certain limits.

• If you are fully disabled, you may work less than 3 hours per day. If you earn more than 19,661.25 euros per year (as of 2025), your pension will no longer be paid in full or may not be paid at all.
• If you have a partial disability, you may work less than 6 hours per day. The amount you are allowed to earn before your disability pension is reduced or possibly stopped altogether is calculated on a case-by-case basis. However, this limit is at least 39,322.50 euros per year (as of 2025).

Applying for a disability pension does not mean that you will never be able to work again. It is often possible to recover from even serious health setbacks through targeted treatment and support.

At any time while receiving a disability pension—and without jeopardizing your pension entitlement—you can test whether you are fit enough to return to long-term employment.

Special Rule for Those Born Before January 2, 1961

If you were born before January 2, 1961, you may be eligible for the “partial disability pension due to occupational incapacity.” This pension takes into account whether you can continue to perform your previous occupation.

• Due to illness or disability, you are unable to work
  • and are therefore fully incapacitated for work, or
  • work at least 3 hours but less than 6 hours per day and are therefore partially disabled.
  • Exception: If, from a medical standpoint, you are partially unable to work and are unemployed because there is no part-time job suitable for your abilities, you may also be eligible for a disability pension for full incapacity to work under certain circumstances.
• You cannot restore your earning capacity through
  • medical rehabilitation or
  • vocational rehabilitation, such as through retraining or assistive devices.
• You have not yet reached the standard retirement age. This is the age at which you become eligible to receive the standard old-age pension.
• You have been covered by pension insurance for at least 5 years. This corresponds to the so-called general waiting period.
• The 5-year general waiting period includes:
  • periods of mandatory and voluntary contributions,
  • substitute periods,
  • periods of child-rearing,
  • periods resulting from pension rights equalization and pension splitting between spouses,
  • periods of marginal employment with employer-paid contributions, and
  • bonuses to earnings points for wages from marginal employment exempt from mandatory insurance.
• Exceptions to the general waiting period are possible in these cases
  • You had a work-related accident.
  • You have an occupational disease.
  • You sustained an injury while performing military or civilian service.
  • You were imprisoned for political reasons.
  • You became fully disabled within six years of completing your vocational training and paid contributions for at least one year during the two years prior to the onset of your disability.
• You have paid into the pension insurance for at least 3 years during the 5 years prior to your loss of earning capacity.
  Exception:

If you had already fulfilled the 5-year waiting period before January 1, 1984, a continuous record of so-called “periods preserving entitlement” is sufficient for the period from January 1, 1984, until the onset of your disability. These include, for example, voluntary contributions or, under certain conditions, periods of unemployment.

Reduced Earning Capacity for People with Disabilities

If you have not met the general 5-year waiting period before the onset of your reduced earning capacity, you may still be eligible for a pension due to full reduced earning capacity.

In that case, you must

• fulfill the 20-year waiting period—for example, by having worked for 20 years in a workshop for people with disabilities—and
• have remained continuously fully unable to work.

You can apply for a disability pension by mail, in person, or online.

Tip: Before you submit your application, you can seek advice from the German Pension Insurance (DRV).

Applying for a pension by mail:

• Download the application package for the disability pension from the DRV website. Fill out the application for an insured person’s pension and the forms listed therein completely, and gather the required documents.
• You can send your completed and signed application, along with the required documents, either
  • send by mail to the German Pension Insurance (DRV) or
  • submit it in person at one of the local advisory offices.
• Once your pension application has been received, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.
• The German Pension Insurance (DRV) will review your application for completeness and request any missing documents if necessary.
• The German Pension Insurance (DRV) will verify that you meet the eligibility requirements for your pension and that your insurance history is complete. If necessary, it will clarify any gaps in your insurance history.
• The German Pension Insurance (DRV) will assess your reduced earning capacity based on the information you provided and the documents you submitted. If necessary for the assessment, additional medical documents will be requested, such as medical reports or expert opinions.
• The German Pension Insurance (DRV) will clarify other relevant details, such as your health insurance status, whether you have additional income, or whether you receive another pension.
• If you are entitled to a disability pension, you will receive a pension notice containing details on the start date, the commencement of regular payments, and the amount. You will also be informed of your rights and obligations.
• If you are not entitled to a disability pension, you will receive a notice of denial stating the reason for the denial.

Applying for a Pension Online:

• Go to the German Pension Insurance (DRV) online portal and log in. To do so, you can use your signature card, your ID card with electronic identification, or your electronic residence permit.
• Fill out the application and upload the necessary documents. Then submit your pension application online.
• Once your pension application has been received, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.
• The remaining steps in the process are the same as for an application submitted by mail.

In-person application during a consultation:

• Gather the required documents for your application and schedule an appointment at a German Pension Insurance information and counseling center.
• During the consultation, your application for a disability pension is usually entered electronically on the spot and forwarded online.
• Once your pension application has been received, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.
• The remaining steps in the process are the same as for an application submitted by mail.

A person you trust can also submit the pension application on your behalf. To do so, please submit a power of attorney to the German Pension Insurance. As long as the power of attorney is valid, the German Pension Insurance will communicate exclusively with your authorized representative.

• Objection

Permanent Pensions:

• If you submit your pension application within the first 3 months after the onset of your reduced earning capacity, your pension will begin on the first day of the month following the onset of your reduced earning capacity. If you submit your application later, the pension will not be paid until the beginning of the month in which you submitted the application.

Temporary pensions:

• A temporary pension generally begins no earlier than the seventh calendar month following the onset of your reduced earning capacity. It is sufficient to apply for the pension by the end of this 7th calendar month. If you submit your application later, the pension will not be paid until the beginning of the month in which you apply.
• If the determination of full reduced earning capacity results in the termination of your entitlement to unemployment benefits, sick pay, or daily sickness benefits, your pension due to full reduced earning capacity may begin even before the 7th calendar month following the onset of the reduced earning capacity.

Additional explanation regarding the time limit:

Your disability pension is generally granted for a limited period, up to a maximum of 3 years. If the medical assessment specifies a time limit, the pension may be renewed repeatedly for a total duration of up to 9 years. You will receive a permanent pension only if it is unlikely that the reduced earning capacity can be remedied.

• Valid ID card or passport

• Documents not included in the insurance history, such as:

  • Offset certificates
  • Proof of periods of training
  • Evidence of unemployment
  • Evidence of periods of illness

• List of your health conditions

• Names and addresses of your treating physicians

• All information regarding medical examinations conducted by public agencies such as health insurance providers, the employment agency, or workers’ compensation associations

• Details regarding your hospitalizations and rehabilitation stays in recent years

• Chronological list of your employment history

• If another person is submitting the application:

  • Power of attorney or
  • court order

There are no costs involved.