Pension settlement for the long-term insured (“Hacklerregelung”)

General information

The following eligibility conditions apply to men born on or after 1 January 1954 and women born on or after 1 January 1962 who wish to claim a pension for the long-term insured:

• Men born on or after 1 January 1954 who can provide evidence that they have been in gainful employment for 540 insurance contribution months are eligible to claim a pension for the long-term insured as of the age of 62.
• The following ages for eligibility apply for women born on or after 1 January 1962:
  • Date of birth between 1 January 1962 and 31 December 1963: 60
  • Date of birth between 1 January 1964 and 30 June 1964: 60 and 6 months
  • Date of birth between 1 July 1964 and 31 December 1964: 61
  • Date of birth between 1 January 1965 and 30 June 1965: 61 and 6 months
  • Date of birth on or after 1 July 1965: 62
  • For women, 528 contribution months must have been completed for those born in 1961 and 540 for those born in or after 1962.
• The following applies to both men and women: when determining eligibility for the pension for the long-term insured, only those contribution months accumulated when in gainful employment as well as up to 60 months of child-rearing periods and, since 1 July 2017, the entire period of military or civil service will be taken into account.

Provisions regarding pensions for the long-term insured in the case of heavy labour

For people of a certain age who are subject to special protection, early retirement is possible if they have paid contributions for a long time and have performed heavy labour. In practice, this provision is only relevant to women. It permits retirement at the age of 55 at the earliest; this covers women born on or after 31 December 1958 and before 1 January 1964.

Affected

Men who were born on or after 1 January 1954 and have 45 contribution years in gainful employment, can claim the pension for the long-term insured at 62 years of age. For women who were born on or after 1 January 1959, there is a staggered retirement age.

Requirements

• Completed contribution periods required to be considered “long-term insured”:
  • Men: 540 contribution months (45 years)
  • Women: 480 contribution months (40 years)
• Of which at least 120 contribution months were completed in the last 240 calendar months prior to drawing the heavy labour pension

Deadlines

by the end of the last month before retirement at the latest

Competent authority

the competent pension insurance institution

Procedure

In order to draw your pension, you must submit an application. An application form is provided for this purpose. An informal written letter is also classed as an application. A pension application should be submitted 2 to 3 months before the start of the pension but by the end of the last month before retirement at the latest.

Required documents

The pension insurance institution will advise which documents are required.

Costs and fees

There are no charges payable.

Legal basis

• the relevant Pension Insurance Act that applies to your insurer, for example
  • Allgemeines Sozialversicherungsgesetz (ASVG)
  • Pflichtversicherung nach dem Gewerblichen Sozialversicherungsgesetz (GSVG)
  • Pflichtversicherung nach dem Bauern-Sozialversicherungsgesetz (BSVG)
• Schwerarbeitsverordnung

Authentication and signature

electronically: registration using ID Austria (only possible with the Austrian Pension Insurance Fund [PVA])
in writing: informal letter (form to be submitted later).
in person: in this case, you should take with you the necessary documents, such as your birth certificate, birth certificates for your children, your residence registration form, your marriage certificate, where appropriate, and an identity document.

Means of redress or appeal

The insurance institution will make a decision on the pension application in an official notification. A complaint may be lodged with the competent Labour and Social Court within three months of delivery of the official notification.

Assistance and problem-solving services

Ombudsman service for the competent pension insurance institution