Overview
- The 1964 cohort can claim the disability old-age pension without deductions at 65 or from 62 with a 10.8% reduction, with the prior trust-protection rule no longer available for those born after December 31, 1963.
- Eligibility for the pension requires a certified disability degree of at least 50% in place before retirement and a minimum of 35 years of insurance periods.
- Employers must, for the first time, pay higher compensatory levies for 2025 by March 31, 2026, with rates reaching up to €815 per month for each unfilled mandatory position in the highest tier.
- The Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz is in force and enters its first full year of application in 2026, extending accessibility obligations to products and services such as smartphones, e‑commerce, banking apps, and telephony, with market surveillance expected to intensify.
- EU measures advance toward cross-border recognition, with disability and parking card directives due for national transposition by June 5, 2027 and application from June 5, 2028, while the European Digital Identity Wallet is planned to begin rolling out from 2026.