Thinking of applying for a disability pension but worried you won’t be able to work? There are a lot of myths about disability pensions in conjunction with employment. But find out how it really works in our article. We’ll tell you in advance that you can earn millions of dollars and still get a full disability pension.
Disability pensions are granted by the state to people who are limited in some way in their work due to long-term ill health.
You have to apply for a disability pension either in person at the District Social Security Administration or online using the ePortal of the Social Security Administration with electronic identification. You can use, for example, a bank identity or a data box. You will then have to fill in an occupational questionnaire, which establishes your qualifications and previous employment, and the assessment will be based on your medical records, which will be requested by the assessing doctor directly from your treating doctor. The authorities then have 90 days to process your application.
In order to get an invalidity pension, you will need an opinion from a doctor recognising you as having a first, second or third degree disability. But in addition, you must also meet a specified length of pension coverage. This is determined by your age as follows:
| Age | Period of insurance |
|---|---|
| up to 20 years | less than one year (even one day) |
| from 20 to 22 years | 1 year |
| from 22 to 24 years | 2 years |
| from 24 to 26 years | 3 years |
| 26 to 28 years | 4 years |
| from 28 | 5 years |
The exception is disability resulting from an accident at work or occupational disease. In these cases, you do not have to meet the prescribed length of pensionable service.
Tip: For a list of diseases and the associated percentage rates of decline in work capacity, see the Decree establishing the percentage rates of decline in work capacity.
Thedisability pension is paid once a month, either as a cashless transfer to your personal account or your spouse’s account, or by postal order. However, there is a fee for the latter. Last September, the price increased from 29 to 35 crowns. For this reason too, it is worth having the money sent to your account.
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Are you convinced that you are entitled to an invalidity pension but have not been awarded one? Contact an Affordable Advocate. We will review your case and draft legal services to resolve it within 24 hours. Then, if you decide to put it in our hands, you get the drafting free of charge.
The basic rate is the same for all pensions. In 2024, it is CZK 4 400 per month. However, a percentage is added to it. The latter is determined individually from the total period of pension payments, the amount of earnings and the calculated period, i.e. the time from entitlement to the invalidity pension to the retirement age. The amount of your earnings before you became disabled and your degree of disability also play a role.
Tip: You can use one of the calculators freely available on the internet to make a rough calculation.
As we have already announced, disability pensions are classified into three levels depending on the severity of your condition and your inability to work. Which tier applies to you is determined by the percentage of your long-term work capacity that is reduced. So let’s look at how the grades differ:
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There are many myths about working on a disability pension. However, the truth is that it is possible to work on a disability pension, and indeed often necessary. In fact, an invalidity pension often cannot even cover basic living and food expenses. In addition, 1st and 2nd degree invalids are still obliged to pay pension contributions. As far as health insurance is concerned, this is paid for by the state for 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree disability pensions.
So whether you have a partial or full disability pension, you can work. It is not a problem to work as a regular employee, as a contract worker or as a business owner. Even if you have a level 3 disability, you can still work full-time. For this reason, slightly absurd situations can sometimes arise.
An example of such an absurd situation is a person who needs to use a wheelchair. This falls into the category of a particularly severe functional impairment of the nervous system, which is associated with entitlement to a Grade 3 disability pension. At the same time, however, such a person is easily able to work full-time in sedentary jobs, even as a well-paid IT specialist or successful entrepreneur. He or she can earn hundreds of thousands and still receive a 3rd degree disability pension. On the other hand, we may have a person who suffers from severe anaemia that reduces his overall performance, causing extreme fatigue, dizziness, etc. Such a person cannot do almost any work properly. Yet he or she will only qualify for a first degree disability pension.
You should be aware that in some cases you may be restricted from working. Based on your medical condition, you may be restricted from working at night, you may only be able to work sitting down or you may have limited working hours. You must then comply with these restrictions.
As a disability pensioner, you can theoretically work anywhere. However, you will probably be looking for a job that will place less physical or mental demands on you. Nowadays, it’s not a problem to come across job adverts looking specifically for disabled pensioners. This is because employers with more than 25 employees are required to fill at least 4% of positions with disabled persons. In addition, employment of disabled persons brings benefits to employees in the form of income tax rebates, lower wage costs, etc.
Tip: Are you an employer planning to employ people with disabilities? We can help you navigate employment law and set up employment contracts to comply with the law.
Most often you will find job offers in the form of cleaning, security, sales representatives on the phone, janitors or various manual jobs in so-called sheltered workshops. Sheltered workshops are workshops that only employ people with disabilities. Most often, they make various small items, assemble orders or dispatch and distribute goods.
You can search for jobs for disabled pensioners on traditional job portals or on special Facebook groups for jobs for people with disabilities. In addition, the Employment Agency also publishes this type of job.
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Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 10 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
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