BU insurance for children: Early protection for financial security in case of an emergency
27 May 2025
3
Minutes
Katrin Straub
Managing Director at nextsure
One in five children could statistically become unable to work. An early occupational disability insurance (ODI) secures your child's future with contributions starting at around 20 euros per month. Learn how to optimally protect your child.
The topic in brief and concise terms
An occupational disability insurance for children can be taken out from the age of six and often secures affordable premiums, often under 60 euros per month.
It provides coverage in cases of incapacity to attend school (e.g., 50 percent absence over six months) and later in cases of occupational disability, often with pensions up to 1,500 euros.
Important contractual clauses include the waiver of abstract references and post-insurance guarantees without a renewed health check.
Immediate Protection for Children: An Overview of the Core Benefits of Early Income Protection
A disability insurance (BU) for children financially safeguards your child in case they can no longer pursue their career in the future. Enrollment is often possible from the age of ten, with some providers offering it from the age of six. The key advantage lies in the usually lower premiums, such as 50 euros per month for a 16-year-old student. Children are generally healthier, which simplifies the health assessment and reduces the risk of exclusions or surcharges by up to 100 percent. These favourable conditions often remain for a lifetime, even if a more risky profession is taken up later. An early disability insurance is, therefore, an investment in your child's future security.
Practical Guide to Children's Disability Insurance: Optimize Benefits, Costs, and Contract Details
Understanding School Inability as a Benefit Trigger
If your child is likely to miss at least 50 percent of classes for six months, they are considered unable to attend school. This can be caused by accidents or illnesses, increasingly also psychological issues such as depression. A good children's disability insurance then provides a monthly pension, for example, of 1,000 euros. Ensure that the policy protects the specific school environment, not just an abstract type of school. This way, your child is protected during school time, starting from the first grade, for example.
Cost Transparency: Premiums and Savings Potentials
The premiums for a pupil's disability insurance with a 1,000 euro pension until the age of 67 start at about 37 euros for grammar school students (ten years old). For secondary school students, it can be around 59 euros. A later conclusion, for example, at 24 years as an automotive mechanic, can already cost 85 euros monthly. By taking out the policy early, you often secure savings of over 30 percent. The premiums remain stably low even when starting a career or switching to riskier activities. A calculation of disability insurance costs shows individual potentials.
Essential Contract Clauses for Optimal Protection
Strong disability insurance for children should include the following points:
Waiver of abstract referral: The insurance must not refer your child to another theoretically possible profession that they are not pursuing. This is standard in over 90 percent of good policies.
Guaranteed insurability: On important life events (e.g., starting a career, marriage), the pension can be increased by up to 500 euros without a new health assessment.
No obligation to report a change of job: The once agreed, favourable premium remains even when switching to a riskier profession later.
Premium dynamics: An annual inflation adjustment of, for example, three percent secures the purchasing power of the pension.
Benefits from 50 percent occupational disability: The full pension is already paid if occupational disability is determined to be at least 50 percent.
These clauses ensure flexible and needs-oriented protection over decades. The reasonableness of disability insurance is thus underpinned.
Expert knowledge on children's disability insurance: Navigating legal fundamentals and pitfalls
Statutory Reduced Earning Capacity Pension: Hardly Any Protection for Young People
Since 2001, there has been no statutory occupational disability pension. The reduced earning capacity pension usually only takes effect after five contribution years to the pension insurance. [__] Pupils and students often have no statutory entitlement at all. Even if there is an entitlement, the benefit of often under 800 euros is hardly enough to live on. [__] A private disability insurance is therefore essential.
Genuine Disability Insurance or a False Promise? Differences from School Inability Insurance
Not every policy offered for children is a full occupational disability insurance. Pure school inability insurances often only provide benefits if the child cannot attend school at all. They sometimes do not offer an automatic transition to occupational disability upon entering employment. A genuine pupil disability insurance, however, defines school inability as occupational disability and secures the future career. Pay attention to the following differences:
Scope of Benefits: Comprehensive protection in case of school and future occupational disability.
Transition Clauses: Seamless transition of protection upon entering employment.
Definition of Occupational Disability: Clear regulations for pupils and future professionals.
Additional Insurance Options: Adaptability to future needs.
Our Expert Tip: Examine the insurance conditions carefully considering these four points to obtain full security. A comparison of different insurance forms can help.
Health Questions: Honesty Secures Your Claim
Health questions must be answered truthfully when applying. For children up to 15 years old, there are often simplified health checks with fewer questions. Undisclosed pre-existing conditions can jeopardize insurance coverage even after ten years. Consult paediatricians if in doubt. A clean application is the foundation for a claim without complications later on. The difference to incapacity for work is also relevant here.
Shaping the Future: Setting the Course for a Worry-Free Career Now
Choosing disability insurance for your child is an important decision. Not only do you secure affordable premiums often below €60, but you also preserve your child's health status for the contract. This provides an invaluable advantage should your child later pursue a trade with premiums over €100 or experience health issues. With a guaranteed pension amount of up to €1,500, a solid foundation is established. Act proactively, as over 90 percent of parents desire financial security for their children. We at nextsure are happy to assist you in finding the right education savings plan for your children and designing optimal protection. Early coverage is a gift for your child's future.
More useful links
Wikipedia provides a comprehensive overview of occupational disability insurance.
The Deutsche Rentenversicherung provides information about rehabilitation measures for children and adolescents.
The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) offers information on benefits for families with children with disabilities.
FAQ
Warum ist eine BU Versicherung für Kinder überhaupt notwendig?
Kinder und Jugendliche haben meist keinen oder nur einen sehr geringen gesetzlichen Schutz bei Berufs- oder Schulunfähigkeit. Eine private BU schließt diese Lücke und sichert die finanzielle Zukunft ab, oft schon mit Beiträgen ab 20 Euro monatlich.
Bleiben die günstigen Beiträge einer Kinder-BU auch im Erwachsenenalter bestehen?
Ja, ein großer Vorteil des frühen Abschlusses ist, dass die günstigen Konditionen und die ursprüngliche Berufsgruppeneinstufung (als Schüler) in der Regel für die gesamte Vertragslaufzeit erhalten bleiben, auch wenn später ein risikoreicherer Beruf ausgeübt wird.
Kann die versicherte Rente später angepasst werden?
Gute BU-Verträge für Kinder enthalten Nachversicherungsgarantien. Damit kann die Rentenhöhe bei bestimmten Ereignissen (z.B. Schulabschluss, Berufseinstieg, Heirat) ohne erneute Gesundheitsprüfung erhöht werden, beispielsweise um 500 Euro.
Was passiert, wenn mein Kind später einen risikoarmen Beruf wählt?
Manche Versicherer bieten eine Besserstellungsoption oder Günstigerprüfung. Wird später ein risikoärmerer Beruf als ursprünglich kalkuliert ausgeübt, können die Beiträge sinken, während der volle Versicherungsschutz von beispielsweise 1.500 Euro Rente erhalten bleibt.
Sind psychische Erkrankungen bei Kindern auch versichert?
Ja, eine gute Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung leistet auch, wenn psychische Erkrankungen wie Depressionen oder Angststörungen zur Schul- oder Berufsunfähigkeit führen. Diese Ursachen nehmen bei jungen Menschen leider zu.
Wie unterstützt nextsure mich bei der Auswahl einer BU für mein Kind?
Unsere Mission bei nextsure ist es, Ihnen maßgeschneiderte und leicht verständliche Versicherungslösungen anzubieten. Wir helfen Ihnen, die passende BU Versicherung für Ihr Kind zu finden, die optimalen Vertragsbedingungen auszuwählen und alle Gesundheitsfragen korrekt zu beantworten. Fordern Sie jetzt Ihre individuelle Risikoanalyse an.
