Disability pension

General information

Depending on the degree of invalidity found, a distinction shall be made between the invalidity pension for the first, second and third degree of disability. The difference between the different degrees of disability is the rate of reduced individual’s capacity to work (a reduction of 35% to 49% means first-degree disability, 50% to 69% second-degree disability, and 70% or more third-degree disability). A decision regarding the degree of disability, or any changes of it, will be taken by the DSSA's assessing physician.

Conditions for entitlement

The conditions laid down for entitlement to disability pension must be met. One of them being the so-called determination of disability, which is preceded by the process of the health condition assessment. The rules for health condition assessment are laid down by laws and regulations. Another necessary condition is the required insurance period, which is to be determined from the period before the disability occurred. The condition of having a required insurance periods is not necessary only if the disability is a result of an accident at work or occupational disease. The length of the required insurance period for an entitlement to a disability pension will depend on the individual’s age:

• for persons under 20 years, it shall be less than 1 year;
• for persons from 20 to 22 years, at least 1 year;
• for persons from 22 to 24 years, at least 2 years;
• for persons from 24 to 26 years, at least 3 years;
• for persons from 26 to 28 years, at least 4 years;
• for persons older than 28 years, the required insurance period shall be 5 years and shall be determined from the last ten years before the disability occurred;
• in addition, for persons aged over 38 years, if a person does not meet the condition of 5 years in the last 10 years before the occurrence of disability, the condition shall be deemed to have been fulfilled if he/she has accumulated 10 years of insurance in the last 20 years preceding the occurrence of disability.