Courts Confirm German GdB Is Function‑Based and Not a Sum of Diagnoses

The Gesamt‑GdB is set from the single most severe functional limitation, with increases allowed only when other conditions materially worsen participation.

Overview

Judges reiterated that individual GdB scores are not added together and that the Gesamt‑GdB starts from the dominant functional impairment rather than a mathematical sum.
Medical imaging or multiple diagnoses alone do not change the Gesamt‑GdB; assessors and courts focus on documented losses in mobility, stamina, self‑care, cognition, and daily function.
Applicants must cooperate with the Versorgungsamt by naming treating doctors and providing records because failure to do so can justify refusal of a Neufeststellungsantrag, a point the BSG upheld in its 2014 ruling.
A refusal of a review for lack of cooperation does not automatically remove an existing GdB, and applicants can later supply missing documents to reopen the procedure.
Authorities normally issue time‑limited Schwerbehindertenausweise and grant unbefristed cards only in rare, clearly irreversible cases such as amputations, a practice explained in coverage published on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.