Leistungen A-Z

Forms: yes

Online procedure possible: yes

Written form required: yes

Personal appearance required: no

• Online application of KAL (without registration)
• Online application of KAL (with registration)
• Open cached online application

If you lose your job in the mining industry through no fault of your own, for example due to operational restrictions, the Knappschaftsausgleichsleistung (KAL) can support you financially.

KAL helps older miners who are affected by the difficult labour market situation until the start of their retirement pension. You will receive the KAL until you change to another pension and at most until you reach the standard retirement age.

The amount of your KAL is calculated in the same way as the pension for full disability. However, there are the following special features:

• Only your claims from the miners' pension insurance will be taken into account. If you have acquired further entitlements in the general pension insurance, for example through work outside mining, these do not count. The contributions you pay to the general pension insurance are only taken into account in a later pension, for example in the case of an old-age pension.
• Supplements for permanent underground work are also not taken into account.
• In contrast to the calculation of a pension for reduced earning capacity, KAL does not include an additional period.

Your pension amount with KAL is therefore only the proportion attributable to your claims under the miners' pension insurance.

As a KAL recipient, it is advantageous for you to receive your retirement pension at the earliest possible date. In contrast to KAL,

• the performance premium for continuous underground work, and
• Entitlements from the general pension insurance scheme are taken into account.

The period during which you receive KAL is taken into account as a crediting period in the pension. As a result, they receive more pension. The following old-age pensions are possible after a KAL:

• old-age pension for miners who have worked underground for many years;
• the old-age pension for severely disabled persons,
• the old-age pension for long-term insured persons,
• the standard old-age pension, or
• the old-age pension for particularly long-term insured persons.

Which old-age pension is suitable for you following the KAL depends on the eligibility requirements you meet. The Knappschaft-Bahn-See advises you on this.

If you receive the KAL,

• you can earn up to 6,300 EUR. A partial payment as in the case of old-age pensions is excluded.
• you cannot receive unemployment benefit I or unemployment benefit II during this time.

If you take up a new job in a miners' company, you can no longer receive KAL. This is true regardless of how much you earn.
 

• You are at least 55 years old.

Either you have:

• an insurance period of at least 25 years with continuous underground work completed

or you have:

• has completed an insurance period of at least 25 years for miners' pension insurance,
• has been employed underground, and
• the last work carried out underground has been abandoned for health reasons.

In addition, you must have been terminated through no fault of your own, for example because of

• operational restriction,
• dismissal for closure,
• merging of establishments, or
• other rationalization measures.

Exception: You can also voluntarily leave the miners' business if you

• have completed 25 years' insurance period with continuous underground work, and
• after 31 December 1971 had to change their employment underground for health reasons (reduced employability in mining).

If you have received adjustment allowance, these periods are included in the insurance period. To do so, they must have last worked underground before receiving the adjustment allowance.
 

• valid identity card or passport
• Evidence not included in the insurance history, such as:
  • Offsetting certificates
  • Proof of training periods
  • Proof of unemployment
  • Proof of periods of illness
• if another person makes the request:
  • Power of attorney or
  • Order of the Court of First Instance.

none

You can apply for the Knappschaftsausgleichsleistung (KAL) in writing, in person or online.

Written pension application:

• Download the application form for the Knappschaftsausgleichsleistung on the website of the German Pension Insurance. Fill out the form completely and compile the required documents.
• You can submit your completed and signed application with the required documents either:
  • send by post to the Knappschaft-Bahn-See or
  • at one of the local counselling centres.
• When your pension application has arrived, you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt.
• The Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the application for completeness and, if necessary, requests missing documents.
• The Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the requirements for your pension entitlement and your insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance history.
• The Knappschaft-Bahn-See clarifies other issues, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional money or receive an accident pension.
• If you are entitled to the KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a pension notice with details of the start, the start of the current payment and the amount. Furthermore, you will be informed about your rights and obligations.
• If you are not entitled to KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a rejection notice stating the reason for the rejection.

Pension application via online procedure:

• Go to the online portal of the German Pension Insurance and register. You can use your signature card, your identity card with electronic proof of identity or your electronic residence title.
• Fill out the form for the Knappschaftsausgleichsleistung and upload the necessary documents. You then submit your pension application online.
• When your pension application has arrived, you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt.
• The Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the application for completeness and, if necessary, requests missing documents.
• The Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the requirements for your pension entitlement and your insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance history.
• The Knappschaft-Bahn-See clarifies other issues, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional money or receive an accident pension.
• If you are entitled to the KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a pension notice with details of the start, the start of the current payment and the amount. Furthermore, you will be informed about your rights and obligations.
• If you are not entitled to KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a rejection notice stating the reason for the rejection.

Personal application in the consultation:

• Compile the necessary documents for the application and make an appointment at an information and advice centre of the German Pension Insurance.
• During the consultation, your application will usually be recorded electronically and forwarded online.
• When your pension application has arrived, you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt.
• The Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the application for completeness and, if necessary, requests missing documents.
• The Knappschaft-Bahn-See checks the requirements for pension entitlement and your insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance history.
• The Knappschaft-Bahn-See clarifies other issues, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional money or receive an accident pension.
• If you are entitled to the KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a pension notice with details of the start, the start of the current payment and the amount. Furthermore, you will be informed about your rights and obligations.
• If you are not entitled to KAL at the desired start of your pension, you will receive a rejection notice stating the reason for the rejection.

The application can also be made for you by a person you trust. Please submit a corresponding power of attorney to the Knappschaft-Bahn-See. As long as the power of attorney is valid, the Knappschaft-Bahn-See will contact your authorized person exclusively.
 

If you have submitted the pension application in time, you will receive your KAL at the earliest on the first day of the month at the beginning of which all eligibility requirements are met.

If you submit the pension application later than 3 months after the end of the month in which all eligibility conditions are met, you will receive your KAL from the first day of the month of application.
 

German Pension Insurance
Knappschaft-Bahn-See
Pieperstrasse 14 – 28
D-44789 Bochum, Germany

E-mail: zentrale@kbs.de
Phone: 0234 3040

Local contacts can be found via the information and advice centre finder of the German Pension Insurance.

Phone: 0800 1000-4800 (Toll-Free)
Service hours:
Monday to Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

• Information and advice centre finder of the German Pension Insurance
• Information on the service telephone for deaf and hearing-impaired people on the website of the German Pension Insurance

• § 239 Sixth Book of the Social Code (SGB VI)

• Information on the Knappschaftsausgleichsleistung on the website of the Deutsche Rentenversicherung
• Information on how to apply for your pension on the website of the German Pension Insurance
• Information on technical terms from pensions and rehabilitation on the website of the German Pension Insurance
• Overview: Online services on the website of the German Pension Insurance

Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)