Basic Ability Insurance: Securing Financial Stability in Case of Loss of Fundamental Abilities
12 May 2025
Katrin Straub
Managing Director at nextsure
The loss of a basic ability can change life overnight and lead to significant financial losses. A basic ability insurance offers important protection here and secures your financial independence. Find out how this insurance works and who it is particularly useful for.
The topic in brief and concise terms
The basic abilities insurance provides a monthly pension in the event of the loss of certain essential abilities, regardless of professional occupation.
It is particularly useful for people in physical professions, the self-employed, or those with limited access to disability insurance.
The exact definition of the insured skills and performance triggers varies greatly – a detailed comparison of rates is essential.
An overview of key information on basic ability insurance
The fundamental ability insurance offers financial security if you lose essential physical or mental capabilities. It provides benefits even if you could theoretically continue your profession. Ideally, the pension amount should cover seventy-five per cent of your net income.
Understanding Basic Skills: The Foundation of Your Security
Basic capabilities are essential physical and mental abilities that we require for our daily life. These include, for example, seeing with a residual visual acuity of less than five percent, hearing, speaking, walking over a distance of four hundred meters, or the use of hands. Climbing twelve steps or sitting for twenty minutes can also be abilities covered by insurance. The loss of just one of these capabilities can already trigger a claim. The exact definition and scope of the covered abilities vary greatly among providers, so a thorough comparison of insurance conditions is essential. This coverage is designed to fill financial gaps that arise from the loss of such basic functions.
Practical examples: When does the basic skills insurance provide specific benefits?
To make the benefits of a basic abilities insurance more tangible, let's consider two scenarios. A craftsman who can no longer use his hands precisely due to severe osteoarthritis to handle tools will receive the agreed pension because "grasping" is an insured basic ability. A geriatric nurse, who has stiffened finger joints due to a rheumatic condition and can no longer move her hands well to perform her job, would also receive benefits. It's important that the entitlement to benefits exists irrespective of the remaining ability to work. The insurance pays because a defined ability has been lost for at least six months. These examples illustrate how a basic abilities insurance can provide financial security when life takes unexpected turns.
Our Expert Tip: Documentation is Key
In the event of a claim, insurers typically require a medical certificate with a precise diagnosis and description of the limitation. Often, a standardized test to verify the affected ability or additional expert opinions are also requested. Comprehensive documentation by your doctor is therefore essential from the onset of the limitation for smooth claim processing. Ensure all impairments are recorded in detail to provide evidence of the loss of basic abilities for the required period, usually six months.
Costs and Influencing Factors: What Determines Your Contribution?
The premiums for a basic capability insurance can vary significantly, starting at around twenty-five euros for young, healthy individuals up to several hundred euros monthly. Various factors significantly influence the premium amount. These include your age at entry, the state of health at the time of contract, and the amount of desired monthly pension. Your occupation and any risky hobbies such as motorcycling or mountaineering also play a role, as they can increase the risk of losing basic capabilities. The younger and healthier you are when you sign up, the cheaper the premiums usually are. The contract term, ideally until the retirement age of sixty-seven, is another cost factor. A careful comparison of rates is therefore important.
Example premiums for guidance
The costs of a basic capability insurance are very individual. Here are some examples to illustrate the possible range:
A twenty-five-year-old employed painter with a net income of eighteen hundred euros could expect to pay between forty and seventy euros for a monthly pension of one thousand three hundred fifty euros.
A forty-year-old office employee with a net income of two thousand five hundred euros would need to budget approximately seventy to one hundred euros monthly for a retirement pension of one thousand nine hundred euros.
A self-employed roofer (forty years old, net income of three thousand five hundred euros) pays for a pension of two thousand six hundred fifty euros approximately one hundred to two hundred euros.
For a fifty-year-old self-employed IT consultant (net income of three thousand seven hundred euros), contributions for a pension of two thousand eight hundred euros can range from one hundred twenty to three hundred euros.
These figures are only rough guidelines and highlight the need for an individual calculation. The exact costs depend heavily on the chosen rate and the individual risk factors.
Who is the basic ability insurance particularly recommended for?
A basic ability insurance might not be the first choice for everyone, but it can provide very meaningful coverage in certain situations. Those in physically demanding occupations such as craftspeople, caregivers, or construction workers particularly benefit. For them, the risk of losing a basic ability is often higher. Self-employed individuals and freelancers, who usually aren't eligible for statutory disability pensions, should also consider this coverage. Another important point: people with pre-existing conditions who are denied occupational disability insurance or can only obtain it at very high costs often find basic ability insurance to be a more accessible option. The health questionnaires here tend to be less extensive. Some insurers also offer special tariffs for young people and even children from the age of five or ten, often with simplified health questions and options to switch to disability insurance later. A Basic Ability Insurance for the Self-Employed can thus be an important pillar of livelihood protection.
Checklist: Is a Basic Ability Insurance right for you?
Check these points to see if basic ability insurance might be suitable for your situation:
Do you work in a physically demanding job?
Are you self-employed or a freelancer?
Do you have pre-existing conditions that make it difficult to obtain disability insurance?
Are you looking for coverage that pays out regardless of your employment?
Do you want to insure specific abilities like seeing, walking, or hand use?
Is a generally cheaper premium than disability insurance important to you?
Are you looking for insurance options for your child?
If you answer 'Yes' to several of these questions, basic ability insurance could be a worthwhile option for your income protection.
Expert Insight: Understanding Contractual Clauses and Tax Aspects
When taking out a basic ability insurance, a careful look at the small print is essential. The definitions of the insured abilities and the specific conditions for a claim can vary significantly. Pay attention to whether the loss of just one ability is sufficient and how long the impairment must last – six months is common. Some policies offer additional modules, such as for mental illnesses, which are often not included as standard. Our expert tip: Make sure to clarify whether a guarantee for increased insurance coverage is included. This allows you to increase your insurance coverage at certain life events without having to undergo a new health check. Regarding the tax deductibility of contributions to the basic ability insurance in the tax return: they can be claimed as other precautionary expenses, but the maximum amounts are often already exhausted by health and nursing care insurance contributions. The pension paid out in the event of a claim is usually tax-free. Seeking advice can help avoid pitfalls and find the right coverage.
Disadvantages and Important Considerations Before Conclusion
Despite its advantages, the basic abilities insurance also has aspects that need to be considered. A key point is the limited coverage compared to occupational disability insurance. The basic abilities insurance only pays out for the loss of explicitly mentioned abilities in the contract. Mental illnesses, a common cause of occupational disability, are often only covered through additional modules or not at all. The precise definition of when an ability is considered lost is crucial and varies greatly. For example, in the case of vision loss, a payout may only occur when eyesight has dropped below five percent. In addition, the agreed pension is sometimes lower than with occupational disability insurance. Carefully weigh these disadvantages of basic abilities insurance. Comprehensive advice will help you make the right decision for your individual situation.
Design your individual insurance solution with nextsure
Choosing the right protection is a very personal decision that depends on your individual needs, your profession, and your financial situation. The basic ability insurance can be a valuable component of your pension strategy, especially when other options are not a perfect fit. At nextsure, we understand that every life situation is unique. That's why we place great emphasis on expert and transparent advice to find the tailored solution for you. We help you compare the different offers and identify the right basic ability insurance for you. Benefit from our expertise as a digital insurance portal. Let us secure your financial future together. Request an individual risk analysis now: Have your insurance situation checked free of charge and receive specific optimization proposals.
More useful links
Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) provides comprehensive information on the topic of people with disabilities.
Destatis provides a press release that may contain current statistics or information on the topic of people with disabilities (as of July 2024).
Rehadat offers detailed statistics on disabilities, particularly on the severe disability statistics.
Bundesagentur für Arbeit provides a PDF document that describes the labour market situation for severely disabled people in detail.
Deutsche Rentenversicherung offers access to statistical publications on disability pensions.
Deutsche Rentenversicherung provides a PDF document with statistics and reports on disability pensions over time.
Statista offers statistics on the number of disability pensions in Germany.
Deutsche Rentenversicherung provides general information on disability pensions, including types and benefits.
Destatis provides a table showing the number of severely disabled persons by age, gender, and proportion.
FAQ
Wie hoch sollte die Rente bei einer Grundfähigkeitsversicherung sein?
Experten empfehlen oft, eine Rentenhöhe zu wählen, die etwa fünfundsiebzig Prozent des aktuellen Nettoeinkommens abdeckt, um den Lebensstandard halten zu können.
Ab wann leistet die Grundfähigkeitsversicherung?
Die Versicherung leistet in der Regel, wenn eine versicherte Grundfähigkeit für einen im Vertrag festgelegten Zeitraum (oft sechs oder zwölf Monate) verloren geht oder stark beeinträchtigt ist.
Kann ich die Beiträge zur Grundfähigkeitsversicherung von der Steuer absetzen?
Ja, die Beiträge können als sonstige Vorsorgeaufwendungen in der Steuererklärung angegeben werden. Allerdings sind die steuerlichen Höchstbeträge oft bereits durch die Beiträge zur Kranken- und Pflegeversicherung ausgeschöpft, sodass sich meist keine zusätzliche Steuerersparnis ergibt.
Was passiert, wenn ich eine versicherte Grundfähigkeit verliere, aber weiterarbeiten kann?
Die Grundfähigkeitsversicherung leistet auch dann die vereinbarte Rente, wenn Sie trotz des Verlusts einer versicherten Fähigkeit Ihren Beruf weiterhin ausüben können. Entscheidend ist allein der Verlust der Fähigkeit gemäß den Vertragsbedingungen.
Gibt es eine Gesundheitsprüfung beim Abschluss einer Grundfähigkeitsversicherung?
Ja, vor dem Abschluss einer Grundfähigkeitsversicherung ist in der Regel eine Gesundheitsprüfung erforderlich. Diese ist aber oft weniger umfangreich als bei einer Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung.
Ist eine Grundfähigkeitsversicherung auch für Kinder sinnvoll?
Ja, einige Versicherer bieten Tarife für Kinder (oft ab fünf oder zehn Jahren) an. Diese können einen frühen und oft günstigeren Einstieg in die Absicherung bieten, teilweise mit vereinfachten Gesundheitsfragen und späteren Optionen zum Wechsel in eine Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung.
