Old age pension
Award conditions:
- 65 years of age.
- 15 calendar years, consecutive or separate, with registered earnings (qualifying period).
Subject to particular conditions, the pensionable age may also be brought forward in the following cases:
- Long-term involuntary unemployment
- Specially protected professional activities
- Situations determining specific protection measures for activities or enterprises, due to short-term economic factors.
Survivors’ pension
Awarded to the following family members, if the deceased beneficiary fulfilled the 36 month qualifying period with registered earnings:
- Spouse and former spouses;
- Person who lived for more than two years in a situation identical to that of a spouse;
- Descendents, including newborn and fully adopted children: up to 18 years of age; or up to 27 years of age, provided they do not exercise an activity covered by a compulsory social protection scheme, and subject to certain conditions; without limit of age in the case of the disabled, provided they are beneficiaries of dependants’ benefits in that capacity;
- Ascendants for whom the deceased beneficiary was responsible, if no spouse, former spouse or descendents are entitled to the same pension.
Death allowance:
The death allowance is awarded to family members of the deceased beneficiary who are entitled to the survivors’ pension, with no requirement for a qualifying period. In the absence of the latter it may be awarded to other relations, similar or comparable to the beneficiary, in a direct line or up to the third degree in a collateral line, provided the deceased was responsible for them when he or she died.
Invalidity protection
General social security scheme beneficiaries are protected in invalidity by the following benefits: invalidity pension; long-term care supplement; pension supplement for a dependant spouse.
Invalidity pension
Awarded to employees who are permanently unfit to work, confirmed by the Incapacity Verification System, due to a non-occupational cause subsequent to their registration with the social security system. To be accepted, they must have had registered earnings in the social security system for five consecutive or separate calendar years (for relative invalidity) or three years for total invalidity.
Long-term care supplement
Awarded to social security scheme pensioners who are in a position of dependency, i.e. those who cannot meet their basic daily needs independently. Different degrees of dependency are considered in awarding and determining the amount of the payment.
Occupational Accidents and Diseases
Occupational Accidents
The social security system does not cover risks of accidents at work. Employees are protected against accidents at work by compulsory insurance agreed between employers and insurance companies.
Occupational Diseases
These are diseases on the List of Occupational Diseases affecting an employee who has been exposed to the respective risk due to the nature of the industry, activity or conditions, or the environment and normal working techniques.
Carriers of occupational diseases, duly certified by the National Occupational Risks Protection Centre, are guaranteed access to certain financial and cash allowances.
Text last edited on: 08/2009
Source: European Union © European Communities, 1995-2009 Reproduction is authorised.
