Purpose
Pensions under SGB VI are contribution-based; every entitlement depends on insurance-law requirements (qualifying period § 50, compulsory contributions § 51) and personal requirements (age, health-related benefit event). This skill systematically reviews both axes and determines which type of pension comes into consideration and whether an application is promising.
Inputs
- Date of birth, gender, insurance number (anonymized)
- Insurance history: compulsory contribution periods, voluntary contributions, creditable periods, consideration periods (e.g. child-raising § 56 SGB VI, care periods § 3 sentence 1 no. 1a SGB VI)
- Last employment / self-employment (date, duration)
- Health findings (for reduced earning capacity application): diagnosis, social-medical earning capacity (hours per day on the general labor market), rehabilitation measures
- Severe disability (degree, determination notice from the pension office)
- Previous pension notices / pension information / pension statement
- Current additional income (gross per year)
Sub-agent architecture
Researcher provides SGB VI provisions, Kessler commentary / jurisPK-SGB VI as well as BSG case law on qualifying period, benefit event and occupational protection. Drafter prepares the entitlement review staggered by types of pension. Reviewer checks the application deadline § 99 SGB VI, cooperation § 60 SGB I, additional income and the interaction with ALG II / SGB XII.
Procedure
1. Insurance-law requirements
| Requirement | Provision | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying period | § 50 SGB VI | Minimum insurance period: 5 years (general), 35 years (long-term insured persons), 45 years (particularly long-term) |
| Creditable periods | §§ 51, 54–58 SGB VI | Compulsory contributions, voluntary contributions, creditable, consideration, substitute periods |
| Special insurance-law requirement for reduced earning capacity | § 43 para. 1 no. 2 SGB VI | 3 years of compulsory contributions in the last 5 years before the benefit event |
2. Old-age pensions — types of pension
| Type of pension | Provision | Qualifying period | Age limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard old-age pension | § 35 SGB VI | 5 years | Standard age limit § 235 SGB VI (staggered to 67) |
| Long-term insured persons | § 36 SGB VI | 35 years | 63, with deductions 0.3 %/month |
| Particularly long-term insured persons | § 38 SGB VI | 45 years | 65 (born 1953 et seq. possibly later) — without deductions |
| Severely disabled persons | § 37 SGB VI | 35 years | 65 with deductions from 62 (GdB ≥ 50 required) |
Notes:
- Early claiming § 77 SGB VI: deduction of 0.3% per month (3.6%/year) for early claiming; supplement for later commencement.
- Special cases for long-term insured persons: creditable are in particular compulsory contribution periods, consideration periods for child-raising, creditable periods due to illness / pregnancy (§ 51 SGB VI).
3. Reduced earning capacity pension (§ 43 SGB VI)
Full EM (§ 43 para. 2): Capacity of less than 3 hours daily on the general labour market.
Partial EM (§ 43 para. 1): Capacity of ≥ 3 but < 6 hours daily.
Requirements cumulative:
- Medical requirements (social medical expert opinion of the DRV / MDK)
- General waiting period 5 years (§ 50 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 2 SGB VI)
- Special insurance-law requirements (§ 43 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 2 SGB VI): at least 3 years of compulsory contributions in the last 5 years before the insured event
- Closed part-time labour market: In the case of partial EM, § 43 para. 3 SGB VI applies; in practice full EM is granted if the part-time labour market is closed (BSG, settled case law — so-called "concrete approach"
[unverifiziert – prüfen])
Occupational protection: Only for insured persons born before 02.01.1961 (§ 240 SGB VI — pensions for partial reduced earning capacity due to occupational disability).
4. Additional earnings (§ 96a SGB VI)
Since 01.01.2023, additional earnings with old-age pensions are unlimited.
For reduced earning capacity pensions, additional earnings limits apply:
- Full EM: dynamic limit (approx. EUR 18,500 annually, check current status)
- Partial EM: higher limit, income-dependent
If the additional earnings exceed the limit, the pension is reduced proportionately (§ 96a para. 1a SGB VI).
5. Application (§ 99 SGB VI, §§ 115 et seq.)
- Requirement to apply: Pension is granted only on application.
- Retroactive effect: An application submitted within 3 calendar months after the end of the month in which the entitlement requirements were met is deemed to have been submitted as of the beginning of that month.
- Rehabilitation before pension (§ 9 SGB VI): EM applications are regularly reviewed as rehabilitation applications.
6. Procedure
- Application to the DRV (regional or federal), § 19 SGB I.
- Decision = administrative act § 31 SGB X; duty to state reasons § 35 SGB X.
- Objection § 84 SGG (1 month), action before the Social Court § 87 SGG.
- In the case of pension overpayment: reimbursement § 50 SGB X in conjunction with revocation § 45 SGB X.
Sources and citation style
Binding: ../../references/zitierweise.md.
Statute
- § 35, § 36, § 37, § 38, § 43, § 50, § 51, § 77, § 96a, § 99, § 235, § 240 SGB VI
- § 9 SGB VI (rehabilitation before pension)
- § 60 SGB I
Commentaries
- Kreikebohm, in: KassKomm, status 2024, § 43 SGB VI marginal no. … (reduced earning capacity pension)
- Fichte, in: Hauck/Noftz SGB VI, § 50 marginal no. … (crediting of waiting period)
- Klattenhoff, in: jurisPK-SGB VI, 3rd ed. 2024, § 35 marginal no. … (standard old-age pension, transitional provisions)
- Wengler, in: BeckOK SozR, § 96a SGB VI marginal no. … (additional earnings after the 2023 reform)
Case law ([unverifiziert – prüfen in juris / SozR])
- BSG, judgment of 17.02.2010 – B 5 R 130/08 R (full reduced earning capacity in a closed part-time labor market — "concrete approach")
- BSG, judgment of 23.03.2006 – B 11a AL 29/05 R (insurance-law requirements, extension provisions § 43 para. 4)
- BSG, judgment of 28.06.2018 – B 5 R 25/17 R (crediting of waiting period, child-raising consideration periods)
- BVerfG, order of 11.01.2011 – 1 BvR 3588/08 (cut-off date rule for occupational disability § 240 SGB VI)
Output format
RENTENANSPRUCHSPRÜFUNG — <Mandant/in, anonymisiert>
Stand: <Datum> — Risikoeinstufung: 🟢/🟡/🔴
A. Sachverhalt
- Geburtsdatum / Alter / Geschlecht
- Versicherungsverlauf (Jahre PflBeitr., AnrZ., BerZ.)
- Gesundheitlicher Status (bei EM)
- Beschäftigungsstatus aktuell
- Schwerbehinderung (GdB)
B. In Betracht kommende Rentenart(en)
- Regelaltersrente § 35 — Voraussetzungen erfüllt? <…>
- Altersrente langjährig Versicherte § 36 — <…>
- Altersrente besonders langjährig Versicherte § 38 — <…>
- Altersrente Schwerbehinderte § 37 — <…>
- Erwerbsminderungsrente § 43 (voll / teilweise) — <…>
C. Versicherungsrechtliche Voraussetzungen
- Wartezeit § 50: erfüllt mit <X> Jahren / Beitragsmonaten
- Besondere vers.-rechtl. Voraussetzung § 43 Abs. 1 Nr. 2: <…>
D. Persönliche Voraussetzungen
- Altersgrenze: <…>
- Leistungsfall EM: <Datum / streitig>
- Sozialmedizinisches Leistungsvermögen: <Stunden/Tag>
E. Abschläge / Zuschläge § 77 SGB VI
- Vorzeitige Inanspruchnahme: −0,3 %/Monat = <…> %
- Aufschub: +0,5 %/Monat
F. Hinzuverdienst § 96a
- <Brutto/Jahr> vs. Grenze <…> EUR
G. Antrag / Verfahren
- Antrag bei DRV-Träger <…>
- Antragsfrist § 99 SGB VI (3 Monate Rückwirkung)
- Mitwirkung § 60 SGB I (Unterlagen, ärztl. Befunde)
- Ggf. Reha vor Rente § 9 SGB VI
H. Risiken / offene Punkte
- <…>
I. Quellenverzeichnis
Examples
Example (abridged excerpt, legal-opinion style)
M. (52 years old, male) has been unable to work since 14.08.2025 due to chronic spinal disease. Medical rehabilitation in spring 2026 brought no significant improvement; the DRV's social-medical expert opinion of 03.04.2026 certifies a capacity of less than 3 hours per day on the general labor market.
I. Insurance-law requirements. The general waiting period of five years (§ 50 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 2 SGB VI) is fulfilled with 12 years of compulsory contributions. The special insurance-law requirements (§ 43 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 2 SGB VI) require 3 years of compulsory contributions in the last 5 years before the onset of reduced earning capacity; according to the insurance history, there are 5 continuous years of compulsory contributions — the requirement is therefore fulfilled.
II. Personal requirements. According to the findings, the insured event occurred at the latest on 03.04.2026; the certified capacity of less than 3 hours per day establishes full reduced earning capacity (§ 43 para. 2 sentence 2 SGB VI).
III. Application modalities. The application must be submitted to the DRV (§ 99 SGB VI). If it is submitted within three calendar months after the onset of the insured event, it takes effect retroactively from the beginning of the month after the insured event.
Result (🟡 medium risk due to social-medical assessment): Entitlement to a pension for full reduced earning capacity exists in principle …
Risks / typical mistakes
- Waiting-period myth: "But I paid in for 5 years" — § 43 SGB VI additionally requires additionally the special insurance-law requirements (3 in 5).
- Extension provisions § 43 para. 4 SGB VI overlooked: creditable periods due to illness, pregnancy, child-raising can extend the 5-year period.
- Rehabilitation before pension: An application for reduced earning capacity is reinterpreted as a rehabilitation application pursuant to § 116 para. 2 SGB VI. Rejection of rehabilitation = loss of the reduced earning capacity opportunity.
- Income limit for reduced earning capacity pension: Unlike old-age pensions, a limit still applies; exceeding it reduces the reduced earning capacity pension.
- § 240 SGB VI occupational protection: Applies only to those born before 02.01.1961. Younger insured persons no longer have occupational protection.
- Application deadline § 99 SGB VI: Only 3 months retroactive effect. Later application = later pension start.
- Severe disability must be established at the time of pension application (notice from the pension office) — a mere application is not sufficient for § 37 SGB VI.