How to apply for a minimum pension

Table of contents

What is a minimum pension?

The purpose of the minimum pension is to ensure that the insuree has a pension income at a level that does not require assistance in material need. There is no need to apply for awarding of the minimum pension; the Social Insurance Agency will decide on the right to increase the pension to the minimum pension level. The minimum pension was introduced on July 1^st 2015.

Am I entitled to a minimum pension?

The right to an increase of the pension to a minimum pension level has a recipient of:

• an old-age pension (even if it was previously awarded as an early old-age pension)

or

• an invalidity pension after reaching the pensionable age.

Qualifying conditions for entitlement are met by the recipient of the pension if

1. they have completed at least 30 years of pension insurance for the purposes of the minimum pension,
2. the amount of pension income is lower than the amount of the minimum pension and
3. they have applied for the award of all pensions to which they could be entitled (for example, a recipient of an old-age pension - a widow must also apply for the award of a widow's pension).

The period of pension insurance for the purpose of minimum pension is:

• pension insurance period completed
  • before January 1^st 1993 (all days of pension insurance will be taken into account),
  • abroad (the whole period is taken into account if confirmed by the competent institution),
  • in the calendar year, when qualifying conditions to the pension  were satisfied,
  • in the calendar year for which the personal wage point was determined at least in the value of 0.241
• period, which was added to pension insurance period for determination of the invalidity pension amount.

Foreign country means another Member State of the European Union, the States of the European Free Trade Association (the Republic of Iceland, the Kingdom of Norway, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Swiss Confederation) and a State with which the Slovak Republic has concluded an international agreement on social security.

How to apply for a minimum pension?

There is no need to apply for an increase in the pension to the minimum pension. The Social Insurance Agency will decide on the entitlement ex officio - without any application. The Social Insurance Agency will base its decision on its registered data and on the data provided by pension recipients. Beneficiaries will provide, in particular, data on the period of pension insurance competed abroad and the amount of pensions paid from abroad, through written notifications. 

Information on the minimum pension amount is available here: The minimum pension amount (chart) (SK) 

More information is available in PENSION INSURANCE – MINIMUM PENSION (SK).