Fictitious salaries

The calculation of the fictitious salary

We calculate the fictitious salary for an assimilated period on the basis of the total wages of the career year that immediately precedes the assimilated period.

If the total wages of the last career year are unknown, we calculate the fictitious salary in the following order, on the basis of:

• the real wages of the year in which the assimilated period falls;
  or
• the real wages of a year after the assimilated period;
  or
• the lump sum:
  • of the year 1967 for career years before 2000;
  • of the year 1999 for career years from 2000.

For assimilated periods before 1968, we always use the lump sum.

For some types of assimilated periods, we deviate from the abovementioned rules. Find out how we determine the fictitious salary for assimilated periods below.
 

The determination of the fictitious salary for assimilated periods

For assimilated periods, we calculate your pension as an employee on the basis of fictitious revenues from labour, which we call the fictitious salary.

We calculate the fictitious salary for an assimilated period on the basis of the total wages of the career year that immediately precedes the assimilated period:

• we limit the normal fictitious salary per year to the normal wage limit.
• for certain assimilated periods after the age of 58, we limit the fictitious salary to the lower, differentiated wage limit. This is the low fictitious salary.
• for certain assimilated periods from the career year 2012, we limit the fictitious salary to the guaranteed minimum yearly wage or the minimum wage limit. This is the limited fictitious salary.

Find out more about the application of the wage limit for the pension calculation.

Which fictitious salary for which type of inactivity? Overview

This overview indicates for every type of inactivity whether this period is assimilated in your pension calculation and if so, whether the fictitious salary is limited to:

• the normal wage limit - the 'normal' fictitious salary;
• the differentiated wage limit - the 'low' fictitious salary;
• the minimum wage limit - the 'limited' fictitious salary.

This overview starts from the assumption that there was a period of inactivity in 2019.

The way in which the assimilated periods count towards the pension amount:

• has frequently changed these past years;
• depends upon the career year.

The legislator provides for transitional measures and exceptions. Find out more about the assimilation per type of inactivity.

If you have a long career, certain assimilated periods may not be taken into account for your pension calculation. Find out more: I have a long career. What does this entail for the calculation of my pension amount.

Find out more about the assimilation per type of inactivity.

• Involuntary unemployment
• Unemployment with company supplement scheme (USS)
• Pseudo early retirement (Canada Dry pension)
• Part-time employment with retained rights
• Time credit and career interruption
• Inactivity due to a disability
• Inactivity due to an industrial accident or professional disease
• Sickness and invalidity
• Maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave and foster parent leave
• Yearly holiday
• Strike
• Continued insurance
• Limitation in work due to reorganization of labour
• Parental leave