Applying for a disability pension in case of inability to work

The disability pension is a replacement benefit which can be granted to you if:

  • you are less than 65 years old; and
  • you are unable to carry out:
    • your last job; or
    • any other job that is compatible with your strengths or abilities.

Who is concerned

All resident or non-resident persons who:

  • have a disability, i.e. who have lost the capacity to work preventing them from performing the job they were last employed to do, or any other job that is compatible with their strengths or abilities by virtue of:
    • long-term illness;
    • infirmity;
    • wear and tear of the body; and
  • are or were affiliated to the Luxembourg general pension insurance scheme.

Public sector agents (employed by the State, the communes, the Luxembourg rail operator CFL) are subject to a special pension scheme, with its own specific terms and conditions.

Prerequisites

Medical condition

You are regarded as having a disability if you have suffered a loss of your capacity to work which prevents you from carrying out:

  • the job you were last doing; or
  • any other job that is compatible with your strengths and abilities.

Disability status is determined on the basis of an opinion issued by the Social Security Medical Board (Contrôle médical de la sécurité sociale – CMSS).

Administrative conditions

Qualifying period for insurance

The criterion in respect of the qualifying period is fulfilled if you have been affiliated for at least 12 months to a compulsory, continued or optional insurance scheme during the 3 years prior to the date of:

  • the disability that is found to exist; or
  • the expiration of the period for which sickness benefits are payable.

You do not need to fulfil this qualification criterion if the disability is due to an accident or a recognised occupational disease occurring during the period of affiliation.

Professional activity

If you are in receipt of a disability pension, you may carry out a salaried or self-employed professional activity the income from which, spread over a calendar year, does not exceed one third of the social minimum wage.

Age

You must not have reached the age of 65.

How to proceed

Filing the application

Disability pensions are granted only if formally applied for.

As a general rule, you must file the pension application in your country of residence.

Exceptions to this principle may apply, depending on the place where you were last affiliated.

Last affiliation in Luxembourg

If you were last affiliated to a scheme in Luxembourg, you can lodge your application with the National Pension Insurance Fund (Caisse nationale d’assurance pension – CNAP), regardless of your place of residence.

You can download the application form from 'Forms / Online services'.

If you have worked in several countries, the CNAP will submit the pension applications to the pension bodies abroad.

Last affiliation outside Luxembourg

If you were last affiliated to a scheme outside Luxembourg, you can lodge your application in:

  • the country in which you reside; or
  • the country where you last worked.

The relevant body in the foreign country in question will then be required to get in touch with all the other countries in which you have any pension entitlements.

General considerations where several countries are involved

All the steps to be taken are conditional on Luxembourg having a bilateral or multilateral agreement with the foreign country or countries concerned.

The competent insurance body of a Member State of the European Union gets in touch with the pension body of each country in which you have paid contributions. You will receive from each country a pension proportional to the length of affiliation, provided the medical and administrative conditions are fulfilled there in accordance with the applicable legislation.

The same principle applies in respect of:

  • Switzerland;
  • Iceland;
  • Norway;
  • Liechtenstein; and
  • third countries with which Luxembourg has concluded agreements.

Disability resulting from an accident in the workplace or an occupational disease

Where the disability is principally due to an accident in the workplace or an occupational disease, the disability pension will not become payable until the date of consolidation, that is to say, the point in time at which the injury has settled down and become definitive. That date is determined by the Social Security Medical Board (CMSS).

Thus, it is pointless to lodge an application for a disability pension for as long as the date of consolidation has not been determined; until then, only the Accident Insurance Association (Association d’assurance accident - AAA) remains competent.

Indeed, since the AAA and the CNAP are 2 distinct administrative bodies, you are required to lodge a separate application with each of those 2 institutions, and thus:

Application processing time

The processing time of the application for a disability pension will depend on:

  • the complexity of the case; and
  • where applicable, the response time of the concerned relevant bodies abroad.

Once the application has been processed, you will receive a decision which can be appealed.

Start of the disability pension

The start date of the disability pension will depend on:

  • the nature of the disability (temporary or of indeterminate duration); and
  • your professional situation as at the date of the disability found to exist.

The start date of the disability is determined on the basis of an opinion issued by the Social Security Medical Board (CMSS).

If so requested by the CMSS, you must undergo new medical examinations to check your state of disability.

Payment of disability pensions

Disability pensions:

  • are paid monthly and in advance; and
  • cease to be paid at the end of the month of your death or if the conditions for granting them are no longer fulfilled.

Anti-overlap provisions

Anti-overlap provisions are applicable in two scenarios:

Concurrent receipt of a disability pension and work

In principle, the granting of a disability pension is incompatible with carrying out a professional activity in Luxembourg or abroad.

If you carry out a salaried or self-employed activity, the income derived from that activity must not exceed one third of the social minimum wage.

If you carry out a self-employed activity in Luxembourg, you must apply to the Joint Social Security Centre (Centre commun de la sécurité sociale – CCSS) to be exempted from affiliation.

Concurrent receipt of a disability pension and an accident pension

If a disability pension is received at the same time as an accident pension, the former pension may be reduced.

Loss of entitlement to a disability pension

The disability pension will be withdrawn if you:

  • no longer satisfy the disability criteria;
  • carry out a self-employed activity subject to insurance contributions;
  • carry out a salaried activity with an income in excess of one third of the social minimum wage per year.

Disability pension benefits will not be payable if the disability is the result of:

  • you own intentional doing; and/or
  • a crime you were committing.

Forms / Online services

Demande en obtention d'une pension personnelle

Les informations qui vous concernent recueillies sur ce formulaire font l’objet d’un traitement par l’administration concernée afin de mener à bien votre demande.

Ces informations sont conservées pour la durée nécessaire par l’administration à la réalisation de la finalité du traitement

Les destinataires de vos données sont les administrations compétentes dans le cadre du traitement de votre demande. Veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée par votre demande pour connaître les destinataires des données figurant sur ce formulaire. Conformément au règlement (UE) 2016/679 relatif à la protection des personnes physiques à l'égard du traitement des données à caractère personnel et à la libre circulation de ces données, vous bénéficiez d’un droit d’accès, de rectification et le cas échéant d’effacement des informations vous concernant. Vous disposez également du droit de retirer votre consentement à tout moment.

En outre et excepté le cas où le traitement de vos données présente un caractère obligatoire, vous pouvez, pour des motifs légitimes, vous y opposer.

Si vous souhaitez exercer ces droits et/ou obtenir communication de vos informations, veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée suivant les coordonnées indiquées dans le formulaire. Vous avez également la possibilité d’introduire une réclamation auprès de la Commission nationale pour la protection des données ayant son siège à 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux.

En poursuivant votre démarche, vous acceptez que vos données personnelles soient traitées dans le cadre de votre demande.

Antrag auf Gewährung einer persönlichen Pension

Ihre in diesem Formular erfassten personenbezogenen Informationen werden von der zuständigen Verwaltungsbehörde verarbeitet, um Ihren Antrag erfolgreich abzuschließen.

Diese Informationen werden von der Behörde für den zur Verarbeitung erforderlichen Zeitraum gespeichert.

Die Empfänger Ihrer Daten sind die im Rahmen Ihres Antrags zuständigen Verwaltungsbehörden. Um die Empfänger der in diesem Formular erfassten Daten zu erfahren, wenden Sie sich bitte an die für Ihren Antrag zuständige Behörde.

Gemäß der Verordnung (EU) 2016/679 zum Schutz natürlicher Personen bei der Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten und zum freien Datenverkehr haben Sie das Recht auf Zugang, Berichtigung und gegebenenfalls Löschung Ihrer personenbezogenen Informationen. Sie haben zudem das Recht, Ihre erteilte Einwilligung jederzeit zu widerrufen.

Weiterhin können Sie, außer in Fällen, in denen die Verarbeitung Ihrer Daten verpflichtend ist, Widerspruch einlegen, wenn dieser rechtmäßig begründet ist.

Wenn Sie diese Rechte ausüben und/oder Einsicht in Ihre Informationen nehmen möchten, können Sie sich unter den im Formular angegebenen Kontaktdaten an die zuständige Verwaltungsbehörde wenden. Sie haben außerdem die Möglichkeit, bei der Nationalen Kommission für den Datenschutz Beschwerde einzulegen (Commission nationale pour la protection des données, 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux).

Wenn Sie Ihren Vorgang fortsetzen, akzeptieren Sie damit, dass Ihre personenbezogenen Daten im Rahmen Ihres Antrags verarbeitet werden.

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