Wegweiser People with reduced earning capacity · Pension, rehabilitation, sickness benefit and transitions explained Deutsch

🧮 Amount of the pension: credited period and deductions

The reduced earning capacity pension is calculated as if you had kept working. Deductions still apply. Here is how it fits together.

credited period deduction access factor pension amount earnings points pension adjustment 66 years 3 months

In brief

The pension depends on your contributions so far. In case of reduced earning capacity, the credited period (Zurechnungszeit) is added. This means: the pension insurance adds time up to a certain age, as if you had kept paying contributions.

For pensions starting in 2026, the credited period ends at age 66 years and 3 months according to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung. The age rises step by step to 67.

There is also a deduction. For every month the pension starts before your 65th birthday, it is reduced by 0.3 percent.

The exact amount is stated in the pension notice (Rentenbescheid). You can request a pension statement from the pension insurance.

Step by step

  1. Check your insurance recordCheck that all contribution periods are in your account.
  2. Note the pension start dateWrite down when your pension starts. The credited period and the deduction depend on it.
  3. Have the notice recalculatedHave an advice centre check your pension notice.

Deadlines

66 years and 3 months
End of the credited period for pensions starting in 2026DRV, Änderungen zum 1. Januar 2026; § 253a SGB VI
0.3 percent per month
Deduction (access factor lower by 0.003 per month before the 65th birthday)§ 77 Abs. 2 SGB VI
Watch out – common mistakes
  • The credited period only applies if you have not yet reached the age of 67.
  • The pension notice is decisive. Online calculators do not replace it.
  • The pension adjustment on 1 July 2026 (4.24 percent) also applies to reduced earning capacity pensions.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Credited period

Under § 59 Abs. 1 SGB VI, the credited period (Zurechnungszeit) is the time added for a pension due to reduced earning capacity or death if the insured person has not yet reached the age of 67. Under paragraph 2 it ends when the person reaches 67. In fact, the age limit for pension starts up to 2031 is temporarily lower. For 2026 the Deutsche Rentenversicherung gives 66 years and 3 months (an increase of one month compared with 66 years and 2 months). The transitional provision is § 253a SGB VI.

Deduction

§ 77 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 SGB VI sets the access factor for pensions due to reduced earning capacity 0.003 lower than 1.0 for each calendar month for which a pension is claimed before the end of the calendar month in which the 65th birthday falls. Under § 77 Abs. 2 S. 3 SGB VI the 62nd year of life is the reference point; at most 36 months times 0.003 are taken into account. The maximum deduction is therefore 10.8 percent.

Pension value and adjustment

According to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, the current pension value rises on 1 July 2026 from €40.79 to €42.52 (plus 4.24 percent). A monthly amount for your case can only be calculated from this using your earnings points.

Supplement for existing pensions

Under § 307i SGB VI, since 1 December 2025 there has been a supplement of personal earnings points if on 30 November 2025 there was an entitlement to a pension due to reduced earning capacity (or a pension for child-raising, Erziehungsrente) that began after 31 December 2000 and before 1 January 2019. The supplement is 7.5 percent for pensions starting from January 2001 to June 2014 and 4.5 percent for pensions starting from July 2014 to December 2018. Before that, there was a supplement under § 307j SGB VI from July 2024 to November 2025.

Who is responsible
  • Deutsche Rentenversicherung (German pension insurance)
  • Pension advice service of the pension insurance
Further reading
Temporary pension, extension and permanent statusApplication, medical report, assessment and pension notice

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Amount of the pension: credited period and deductions“?
The reduced earning capacity pension is calculated as if you had kept working. Deductions still apply. Here is how it fits together.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
  • 66 years and 3 months: End of the credited period for pensions starting in 2026 (DRV, Änderungen zum 1. Januar 2026; § 253a SGB VI)
  • 0.3 percent per month: Deduction (access factor lower by 0.003 per month before the 65th birthday) (§ 77 Abs. 2 SGB VI)
What should I do first?
  • Check your insurance record: Check that all contribution periods are in your account.
  • Note the pension start date: Write down when your pension starts. The credited period and the deduction depend on it.
  • Have the notice recalculated: Have an advice centre check your pension notice.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • The credited period only applies if you have not yet reached the age of 67.
  • The pension notice is decisive. Online calculators do not replace it.
  • The pension adjustment on 1 July 2026 (4.24 percent) also applies to reduced earning capacity pensions.
Evidence
  • § 59 SGB VI, gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 21 September 2026
  • § 77 SGB VI, gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 21 September 2026
  • DRV, Pressemitteilung Änderungen in der gesetzlichen Rentenversicherung zum 1. Januar 2026 (18 December 2025), retrieved 21 September 2026
  • DRV, Rentenanpassung 2026, retrieved 21 September 2026
  • §§ 77, 253a, 307i, 307j SGB VI, gesetze-im-internet.de
As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

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