Family circumstances

Your family circumstances influence the calculation of your pension.

When the pension proceeds of every career year have been added up and the amount of your pension has been determined, your pension:

• is either calculated at the amount as a single person (60 % of the wages are taken into account);
• or is raised until it reaches the household rate (75 % of the wages are taken into account).
  
  
  

When is my pension calculated at the amount as a single person?

The pension amount is calculated at the amount as a single person if you receive a pension solely for yourself.

When is my pension raised until it reaches the household rate?

You have to be married, (legal) cohabitation does not entitle one to the household rate.

If you are married, your pension is calculated at the household rate if your spouse:

• has ceased all banned professional activities;
• does not receive a retirement or survivor's pension or an equivalent allowance;
• receives a pension, but the amount does not exceed the difference between the amount of your retirement pension at the household rate and the amount of your retirement pension at the rate as a single person (in that case, your spouse's pension amount is deducted from your household rate pension);
• does not receive a replacement income, such as unemployment, sickness or disability benefits;
• does not receive a premium for time credit, career interruption or diminished professional activities;

When you and your spouse are entitled to a pension as an employee or self-employed worker, we always apply the situation which is most advantageous for you:

• either one pension at the household rate for both, from which your spouse's pension as a self-employed worker may be deducted if you do not have any pension entitlements as self-employed worker yourself;
• or a pension at the rate as a single person each.
  
  

Example:

Jürgen is entitled to a household rate pension of 10 000 EUR a year. His spouse receives a pension as a self-employed worker of 1 000 EUR a year.

The difference between his household rate pension and his pension as a single person amounts to 2 000 EUR (household rate pension = 10 000 EUR and pension as a single person = 8 000 EUR).

Because his spouse's pension amounts to 1 000 EUR and therefore falls below this 2 000 EUR, he is entitled to the household rate pension. He thus receives 9 000 EUR because we deduct the amount of his spouse's pension from his household rate pension (10 000 EUR - 1 000 EUR = 9 000 EUR) and his spouse continues to receive her pension as a self-employed worker of 1 000 EUR.

What if my family circumstances change

When your family circumstances change, your pension as a single person may change into a household rate pension and vice versa.

Concretely:

• we multiply the amount of your pension as a single person by 1,25 when it changes into a household rate pension;
• we multiply the amount of your household rate pension by 0,8 when it changes into a pension as a single person.