In order to mitigate any loss of income, the agricultural pension fund (LAK) will support you if you are no longer able to work or can only work to a limited extent due to illness. Farmers can apply for either a pension due to a full reduction in earning capacity or a pension due to a partial reduction in earning capacity. Family members who work for the farmer can also receive a reduced earning capacity pension.

You can apply for a reduced earning capacity pension if you are

• are partially or fully incapacitated for work,
• have completed the minimum insurance period (qualifying period) of 5 years and
• have made compulsory contributions for at least 3 years in the last 5 years before the onset of reduced earning capacity or have completed equivalent periods in other pension schemes.

If, following a medical examination, you are still able to work between 3 and 6 hours a day, you are partially disabled.

You will receive a full reduced earning capacity pension if

• According to a medical examination, you are only able to work less than 3 hours a day on the general labor market.
• Your residual capacity is 3 to less than 6 hours, but you are unable to find a job due to the situation on the labor market.

Before you can receive a reduced earning capacity pension, the LAK will check whether your earning capacity can be restored through medical rehabilitation.

The pension amount is calculated individually on the basis of the contributions paid up to the onset of your reduced earning capacity. If you retire earlier, you will generally receive credit periods, but you must also expect deductions in the pension calculation. A pension due to partial reduction in earning capacity is half of a pension due to full reduction in earning capacity.

Credited periods:

If you have to retire at a young age due to an illness, you can usually take into account additional periods. With the so-called credited period, it is assumed that you continued to work after the onset of your reduced earning capacity and therefore continued to pay contributions. However, this non-contributory and pension-increasing supplementary period is limited to a certain age limit.
The age limit up to which contributions are deemed to have been paid will be gradually raised to the age of 67 by 2031.

Reductions

If your pension starts before the relevant age limit, you will have to accept deductions. For each month that you retire earlier, the deduction is 0.3 percent, up to a maximum of 10.8 percent.
As a rule, the deductions apply for the entire term of your pension. There may be changes once you have reached the standard retirement age.

Additional earnings

If you still feel fit enough, you can earn some additional income on top of your reduced earning capacity pension. This does not invalidate your pension entitlement, but it can affect the amount of your reduced earning capacity pension. High additional earnings can lead to a complete reduction in your pension. However, this only applies as long as you have not yet reached the standard retirement age, i.e. you have retired early. Once you have reached the standard retirement age, you can earn unlimited additional income without it being deducted from your reduced earning capacity pension.