Inge Blum
1301 West Long Lake Road
Troy, MI 48098
1-800-41RENTE (417-3583)
German Retirement Consulting Agency
1835 Linson Court S. E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Tel.: (616) 942 8541
Fax: (616) 949 9377
1-800-999-6040
cwroland@comcast.net
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Health Insurance
As long as you reside in the US, there is no possibility to become member of a German State insurance. You have to rely on private companies offering such insurances according to their company policies. Should you move to Germany, you can only become a member of a German State insurance under certain conditions (i.e. if you have paid membership fees for a certain minimum of time beforehand). In order to learn more, please contact the AOK (Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse): They have are present in every major town in Germany.
Relevant life periods for your pension
In order to establish how much pension you can get your full curriculum vitae starting with your school education is relevant. In addition to the time period during which you paid your contributions it is relevant which education you received, for how long and with which result. Furthermore, it is important if you served in the military or did the substituting social service, if during WWII you were soldier, prisoner of war or refuge. Also, times of pregnancy, unemployment, disability and periods of raising a child are relevant, under the condition that you lived in Germany during these periods of your life and that you had paid contributions before. Therefore, please give as many details as you can and support your application with documentation (i.e. certificates, diplomas, birth certificates of your children).
Reimbursement and voluntary contributions
German citizens have the option to pay voluntary contributions before they reach the age of 65. This could be sensible in order to close gaps for the obligatory 5 year period of contribution payments or in order to increase the future pension. Foreign citizens do not have the option to fill gaps for the 5 year requirement, but if this requirement is fulfilled they may increase their future pension with voluntary contributions. Persons who have paid contribution for less than 5 years and accordingly are not entitled to receive a pension, may claim for reimbursement of their contributions. While foreign citizens can do this at any time, a German citizen can apply for reimbursement only at the age of 65.
Application for German pension
In order to receive a pension it is mandatory to file an application. You should start the necessary procedures about 3 months latest before you reach the age of 65, but not earlier than 6 months before reaching this age. The application forms can be ordered from the authority that received your contributions, that is either the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund or the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Nord. Correspondence is only possible in German language and most forms are available in German only. The Consulate General of Germany has no resources to function as translation service.
Pension for minor orphans and minor children who lost one parent
In order to obtain such a pension the deceased spouse must have been entitled to an old age pension (must have paid contributions for a period of at least 5 years).
In principle pension payments are only possible to a person under the age of eighteen. Exemptions are possible if the child's education is still ongoing. Payments will definitely stop when the child gets twenty-seven, regardless of the level of education reached. Payments to children over eighteen are subject to yearly adjustments.
Entitlement to a pension
1. General Info
In order to be entitled to a US pension, you in general are obligated to pay your contributions for a period of at least ten years. In order to obtain an entitlement to a German pension contributions over a period of five years are sufficient. How much pension you will receive depends on the number of monthly payments as well as on the amount you paid. In order to obtain any pension, you have to file an application.
2. Pension for old age
This type of pension in principle is paid to people over 65 years of age. Earlier payments may be possible for severely disabled people or applicants who have paid contributions to the German pension fond for a period of at least 35 years. Women born before 01/01/1952 may apply for a pension at the age of 60. As this is a regulation based on old law and principle that these women could rely on this regulation as long as it was in force, there may be deductions depending on the year in which pension payments will be taken up (the later, the more deduction).
Bilateral agreement on social security
Germany and the United States of America have signed an agreement on social security on 12/01/1979, which in particular focuses on payments from one country to a recipient in the other country. This agreement affects German and US citizens as well as refugees according to the Geneva Convention and people without citizenship of any existing country including their family members. All pensions to these persons will be paid without any deduction.
In principle each country applies its own law when deciding on if and how a pension is going to be paid. Accordingly, all those who acquired the entitlement to a pension in both countries will receive two pension payments.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Widow's or Widower's Pension
Following the death of a spouse, you are entitled, upon application, to receive a widow's or widower's pension, if the deceased spouse was drawing a pension until the time of death, or had completed the qualifying period of five years or where this was fulfilled prematurely (by an occupational accident, for example).
In order to be able to receive this pension, you must have been married at least one year prior to the time of death. This minimum period of one year is not applicable only if you were married prior to 1st January 2002 or the marriage was not made for the purpose of drawing benefits.
The widow's or widower's pension can be paid as a small or a large pension. To be entitled to the large pension you must be
-at least 45 years old or
-have reduced earning capacity or
-be raising your own child or a child of the deceased, the said child not yet having reached the age of 18 or
-live in a household with your own child or child of the deceased, the said child not being able to look after him/herself by reason of physical, mental or psychological disability.
The prescribed age for entitlement to receive a large widow's or widower's pension in the event of a death will from 31st December 2011 be incrementally increased to 47 years.
If the conditions for a large widow's or widower's pension are not fulfilled, you will be entitled to a small widow's or widower's pension. This is paid for a maximum period of 2 calendar months following the death of the insured person. It equals 25 percent of the insured pension. The large widow's or widower's pension is paid indefinitely. It will usually amount to 55 percent of the contributor's pension.
If you were married before the 1st January 2002 and one of the spouses was born before the 2nd January 1962, the small widow's or widower's pension will also be paid indefinitely.
If you remarry as a widow or widower, your entitlement to a survivor's pension is extinguished. You are entitled, upon application, to receive lump-sum compensation for your pension. This is 24 times the average amount of the pension of the last twelve months.
If you have remarried and the new marriage is dissolved, you are entitled to receive a widow's or widower's pension in respect of the previous spouse before the last (now dissolved) marriage. Possible benefits from the second marriage will be accounted for.
Who do I have to contact?
In many cases people believe the German Consulate or Embassy would be the proper channel, but they are not in charge of payment or administration of German pensions. They can only provide very basic advice and don't have data access to your case and are therefore unable to process any information given to them. They are restricted from forwarding letters or messages, which means an avoidable delay compared to the direct communication between you and the pension funds in Germany.
Direct communication between you and the Deutsche Rentenversicherung is always recommended whenever possible. As you might know, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (pension funds) has commissioned the Deutsche Post Pension Service to handle all payments, address changes, life certificates etc. So it depends which questions you have when contacting German authorities. For some questions you will receive mail from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (application, yearly raises of payments), for others the Deutsche Post might be in charge (monthly check, life certificate, notification of overpaid payments etc.) Both organizations will exchange incoming mail so there is no risk of writing to the wrong branch. Addresses are given below:
I. For a change of address, change of a bank account, life certificates, death of a pensioner, late or missing checks you should contact the Deutsche Post as follows:
1. Using the contact form on the website www.rentenservice.com (available in English)
2. If you contact the Pension Service by phone from abroad you can dial the following numbers:
011/49/180 5 01 40 09
Monday - Thursday: 8:00 am - 6:pm German time,
Friday: 8 am - 5pm German time.
3. Please send your mail to:
Deutsche Post AG
Niederlassung Renten Service
13496 Berlin
Germany
II. For new applicants and for applications for a widow's pension you should contact the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Nord as follows:
Deutsche Rentenversicherung Nord (blue collar workers)
Friedrich-Ebert-Damm 245
22159 Hamburg
Tel.: 011/49/40/5300 0
Fax: 011/49/40/5300 1684
www.deutsche-rentenversichernung.de (also in English)
Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund (white collar workers)
Ruhrstrasse 2
10709 Berlin
Tel.: 011/49/30/8651
Fax: 011/49/30/8652 7240
www.deutsche-rentenversichernung.de (also in English)
III. For questions regarding the German pensions effect on your American social security you should contact the Social Security Administration office at:
Social Security Administration
Office of International Operations Totalization
P.O. Box 17049
Baltimore, Maryland 21235
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