Sometimes fate strikes hard and they lose their job after an illness. If you are older, the pension can also be an option.
The German welfare state has curious some security networks. Anyone who gets sick as an employee will continue to get money from the boss, then from the health insurance company. And if you lose your job, you are usually entitled to unemployment benefit. But what if both come together? Or – to make it even more complicated – are you already old enough for an early retirement?
First sick, then unemployed, then pension: it is quite possible to be secured in this order from various state services. However, there are a few things to consider.
Anyone who fails as an employee for a long time needs to worry about financial worries at first. Because in the first six weeks, your employer will continue to pay the salary as normal. If you are still unable to work afterwards, the health insurance company steps in and transfers sick pay – for another 72 weeks, if necessary.
This also applies if you lose your job during continued wages. If you are still sick, you as a statutory health insurer are usually entitled to sickness benefit instead of unemployment benefit. This is because the claim arises as soon as the disease breaks out (sections 44 (1) sentence 1, 46 SGB 5). In this case, you should apply for sickness benefit from your health insurance company.
It looks the same when they have been sick for more than six weeks when their employment relationship ended. Then you have already received sick pay and also receive this beyond the end of your job (Section 192 (1) No. 2 SGB 5). Provided, of course, you are still on sick leave.
Important: Be sure to register unemployed if you can still receive sick pay instead of unemployment benefit. As soon as they are healthy and therefore capable of working, the prerequisites for unemployment benefit are available. You can then apply for it.
If you also end your unemployment benefit without finding a new job, you can apply for citizens’ money at the job center (formerly: Hartz IV). Read here what you have to do for it.
If you have to fully use the 72 weeks of sickness benefit and still cannot work again afterwards, the employment agency also helps. She pays you unemployment benefit after your sick pay has expired. And even if you still have a job – but cannot practice it because of the ongoing illness.
Your health insurance company informs you about three months in advance that she will hire the sickness benefit payment. The production is called in technical jargon. Then report to the employment agency at the latest to obtain the so -called unemployment benefit in the event of incapacity to work.
This is a special form of unemployment benefit that is paid for bridging (§ 145 SGB 3). This applies, for example, if it is clear that you will no longer be fully able to work and have therefore requested a disability pension (more on this below), but the pension insurance institution has not yet decided.
In order not to fall through the social network, there is the so -called seamless regulation. You will therefore receive unemployment benefit in the event of incapacity to work, and the employment agency also takes on your health insurance contributions.
Unemployment benefit according to sickness benefit is calculated based on their income before the disease. As a rule, you receive 60 percent of the average net salary of the past twelve months before incapacity to work. For child benefit recipients, the sentence increases to 67 percent.
If it is medically excluded that you will become fully able to work again, you should check whether you are entitled to a disability pension. This is the case if you have not yet reached the regular retirement age and meet the waiting time. In the event of a disability pension, this means that they must have been legally insured in the past five years, three of them insured. Read more to claim, application and amount of disability pension here.
From the age of 63, you can obtain the so -called retirement pension for long -standing insured persons. You must be able to show at least 35 years of insurance. However, this retirement pension is always connected to a discount. You can read how high this is.
Without a discount, you can obtain the old -age pension for particularly long -standing insured persons. However, you need at least 45 years of insurance.
