People who work in the German public service have special rights, but also special risks. Civil servants (Beamte) can be declared unfit for service if they suffer a permanent illness or an accident. In that case full pay stops, and special rules apply to how the pension is calculated. Civil servant disability insurance (Dienstunfähigkeitsversicherung, DU) is made for exactly this situation and closes the gap before it turns into a real problem.
German civil service law provides that a civil servant who becomes permanently unfit for service is retired. The amount of the pension depends on length of service and the pension entitlements earned. Young civil servants who have not served long have correspondingly low entitlements. If they become unfit early, they can be left with a very small monthly income, far less than they need to live on. Civil servant disability insurance closes exactly this gap.
One important difference from general occupational disability insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung, BU) is that for civil servants, fitness for the specific service is what counts. A civil servant who can no longer do their particular job counts as unfit for service, even if they could in theory still do other work. Civil servant disability insurance takes this feature of civil service law fully into account, which makes it clearly better for civil servants than a standard BU policy.
Civil servant disability insurance is for all civil servants in Germany: teachers, police officers, federal administration officials, local authority officials and other public employees with civil servant status. The cover is most useful for young civil servants in their first years of service, because their earned pension entitlements are still low and an early loss of fitness for service would hit them especially hard.
When taking out civil servant disability insurance, check the definition of unfitness for service, the amount of the monthly pension, the term of the policy and any clauses on increasing cover later (Nachversicherung).
We know the particulars of civil service law well and help you find the right cover for your own situation in service.
Civil servant disability insurance benefits
Monthly pension on unfitness for service or occupational disability. Premiums waived while benefits are paid.
True DU clause: the insurer follows the decision of the employer (Dienstherr) and does not carry out its own assessment. Benefits are paid retroactively from the first day of the month after proof is provided.
Optional extras: police service incapacity (special DU) for police officers on active duty. Partial unfitness for service (partial DU) from a 20% reduction in working time. Premium indexation 1-5%. Guarantee to raise cover without a health check on marriage, appointment as civil servant, birth of a child or promotion (up to age 50). Individual payment breaks of up to 2 years.
Additional services: medical second opinion, psychological support, social insurance advice. Option to switch to BU if you leave civil servant status. Worldwide cover. Extension option if the standard retirement age is raised.
DU under § 44 BBG: civil servants count as unfit for service if, for health reasons, they can no longer carry out their duties permanently. This also applies after more than 3 months of absence within 6 months.
