Special services for miners

• Pensions for miners
• Pension by reason of reduced earning capacity in the mining industry
• Pension after long-term employment underground and attainment of the age of 50 years old
• Old-age pension for miners employed long-term underground
• The Miner’s Compensation Benefit (KAL)

Pensions for miners

The pension for miners is paid out depending on the fulfilment of the contributions conditions by reason of reduced earning capacity in the mining industry or as a pension for long-term underground employment and the attainment of the age of 50 years.

Pension by reason of reduced earning capacity in the mining industry

Upon reaching the standard pensionable age (currently 65 years) insured persons are entitled to a pension for miners, if they

• have reduced earning capacity in the mining industry,
• have made at least three years compulsory contributions to miners’ pension insurance in the last 5 years prior to the establishment of the reduced earning capability and
• prior to the establishment of the reduced earning capability they have completed the general qualifying period of 5 years in the miners’ pension insurance plan.

Pension after long-term employment underground and attainment of the age of 50 years old

Insured persons are also entitled to a pension for miners until they reach standard pensionable age (currently 65 years),

• if they are over 50 years old,
• they no longer perform an employment/self-employed activity financially comparable to their previous mining employment activity (full-time job) and
• if they have completed the qualifying period of 25 years.

Old-age pension for miners employed long-term underground

Insured persons are entitled to this old-age pension, if they have attained the age of 60 years old, and have completed the qualifying period of 25 years (300 calendar months) in an employment activity that involved working continuously underground. For insured persons born after 31.12.1951, the pensionable age will be incrementally increased to 62 years old, provided no special protection of possession regulations apply.

The Miner’s Compensation Benefit (KAL)

The KAL is mainly awarded to insured persons who have been employed underground and upon reaching the age of 55 retire from the mining industry in the Federal Republic, provided they have completed a qualifying period of 25 years (300 calendar months) of miners’ insurance contribution periods.