• Disability insurance (BU) is recommended for anyone who relies on their income from work.

• The statutory disability pension is usually not enough if you can no longer work due to disability.

• Your health condition and age determine whether and under what conditions you can sign a contract.

• Protection of your standard of living and retirement in case of disability

• Benefit entitlement with just a 50% reduction in your ability to work

• The earlier you start, the lower the premiums

The disability insurance (BU) kicks in if you can no longer perform your job, either fully or partially. 

This distinguishes it from the statutory disability pension, which only pays out fully if an employee is unable to work for less than three hours a day. If the individual can work between three and six hours a day, only a reduced pension is paid. 

On the other hand, you will receive a disability pension if you can perform less than 50% of your previous duties in your profession.

Experts unanimously recommend taking out disability insurance as early as possible. This is because the premium for disability insurance is largely determined by the following factors: 

• Age at the time of signing the contract
• Agreed-upon pension amount
• Contract duration
• Occupation
• Pre-existing conditions
• Hobbies (only dangerous leisure activities with a high risk of injury)

The earlier you decide on disability insurance (BU), the lower the premium will be. Additionally, with increasing age, pre-existing conditions are more likely to occur, which could lead to insurers applying exclusions, charging higher premiums, or even rejecting coverage entirely. However, there are alternatives, such as coverage against serious illnesses. We are happy to offer comprehensive advice and submit preliminary insurance inquiries to various providers on your behalf. 

Disability insurance (BU) is always tailored to the individual. In addition to age and health condition, your occupation is a key factor in determining coverage. 

The physical and psychological demands of your job, as well as the associated standard of living, are considered. This influences both the premium and the amount of possible pension benefits.

Additionally, occupation-specific agreements can be made, such as including an infection clause to protect medical professionals in the event of a professional ban.

The benefits of a disability insurance (BU) policy are clearly agreed upon at the time of signing the contract. 

If you are unable to perform your job, either fully or partially, due to health reasons, you will receive a disability pension in the agreed amount. In combination with a savings plan, the insurer can also continue to pay the savings contributions along with the pension. 

The differences lie in the details, so it is highly recommended to seek comprehensive advice.

Disability insurance (BU) offers two options for pension payments: the lump-sum arrangement and the graduated arrangement.

• In the lump-sum arrangement, the agreed disability pension is paid out once you lose 50% of your ability to work.
• In the graduated arrangement, you receive a quarter of the agreed pension starting from a 25% loss of work ability, and half at 50%. However, the full payment is only made once you reach 75%. This can often lead to disputes over small percentage differences.

Long Prognosis Periods and Abstract Reference
In the past, the so-called "abstract reference" was common in most contracts. Today, this clause is usually offered to reduce premiums. It is advisable to avoid it as much as possible. 

With the abstract reference, the insurer can refuse to pay the disability pension if you could work in a comparable profession, regardless of whether you can actually find a job.

Additionally, long prognosis periods of over six months are not very useful, as medical professionals often cannot accurately assess your disability over such extended periods.

Whether you need to report a change in your occupation to the disability insurance (BU) provider depends on the insurer. 

Many providers classify the risk level based on your occupation at the time of contract signing and do not change it thereafter. Only a few insurers adjust the premiums if you change jobs.

Life gets more expensive year by year, and a disability pension that is sufficient today may be too low in ten or twenty years. With a dynamic clause, both the premium and the benefits increase annually by an agreed-upon percentage, automatically offsetting inflation. 

With a guarantee to increase coverage, you can raise the benefits without new health checks under certain circumstances, such as marriage or the birth of a child. Naturally, your financial needs increase when you expand your family and take on more responsibilities.

With this insurance, you have the option to choose from three different types:

1. Independent Disability Insurance (SBU)
2. Disability Insurance Combined with a Private Pension Plan (e.g., Basisrente)
3. Disability Insurance Combined with a Term Life Insurance

With the combination products, you not only receive the pension, but your contributions to the savings plan are also continued by the insurer. This way, you also secure your retirement savings.

This insurance covers illnesses and accidents, including mental health conditions. It secures your income from work and preserves your standard of living, even if you are still able to perform some tasks for a few hours.

The disability insurance (BU) kicks in if you can no longer perform your job, either fully or partially. This distinguishes it from the statutory disability pension, which only pays out fully if an employee is unable to work for less than three hours a day. 

If the individual can work between three and six hours a day, only a reduced pension is paid. On the other hand, you will receive a disability pension if you can perform less than 50% of your previous duties in your profession.

Whether switching providers is worthwhile depends heavily on the individual case.

We are here to offer advice and support at any time, helping you find a suitable provider or assisting with switching your disability insurance.

If you want to save for retirement in addition to disability insurance, you can combine your disability insurance with a Basis-Rente (basic pension). 

This way, the tax benefits of this retirement savings form also apply to your disability insurance, and you can deduct the contributions as special expenses in your tax return.