Disability Pensions

Legal Regulations

Act No. 155/1995 Coll., on Pension Insurance
Act No. 582/1991 Coll., on the Organisation and Implementation of Social Security

Submitting a Pension Application

Applications for pension insurance benefits are filed by citizens at the District Social Security Administration according to the citizen's place of permanent residence or the registered residence of a foreign national in the Czech Republic.

On behalf of citizens who, due to their health condition, are unable to submit a pension insurance benefit application themselves, their family members may file the application with their consent and on the basis of a doctor's certificate of health status. An application may also be filed by a natural person on the basis of a power of attorney.

An application may be submitted no earlier than four months before the date from which the citizen is requesting the benefit.

The District Social Security Administration is obliged to accept the application and must not refuse it, even if it considers that the citizen does not meet the stipulated conditions or the application is not accompanied by the required documents.

The employer is obliged, within 8 days of receiving a request from the District Social Security Administration, to provide the requested information in writing.

Supplementary Information

Conditions for Entitlement to a Disability Pension

An insured person is entitled to a disability pension if they have not reached the age of 65 and:

have become disabled
have acquired the required period of insurance
did not meet the conditions for entitlement to a standard old-age pension on the date of disability onset
were granted a permanently reduced early old-age pension
have not reached retirement age
became disabled as a result of a work injury

Disability

An insured person is considered disabled if, due to a long-term unfavourable health condition, their work capacity has decreased by at least 35%.

if the insured person's work capacity has decreased by at least 35% but no more than 49%, it is a first-degree disability
by at least 50% but no more than 69%, it is a second-degree disability
by at least 70%, it is a third-degree disability

Required period of insurance for entitlement to a disability pension (Section 40 of the Pension Insurance Act) by age:

up to 20 years — less than one year
from 20 to 22 years — one year
from 22 to 24 years — two years
from 24 to 26 years — three years
from 26 to 28 years — four years
over 28 years — five years

The required period of insurance is assessed from the period before the onset of disability. For an insured person over 28 years of age, it is assessed from the last 10 years before the onset of disability. For an insured person over 38 years of age, the condition is also considered met if this period was acquired in the last 20 years before the onset of disability; the required period of insurance in this case is 10 years. The condition is considered met if it was acquired in any 10-year period after the onset of disability (for an insured person under 24 years of age, the required period of insurance is two years). The condition is considered met if full disability arose as a result of a work injury or occupational disease.

Source: http://www.mpsv.cz/cs/619

Source: http://www.mpsv.cz/cs/618

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