Occupational Disability Insurance (BU)

Your income is your biggest asset. Insure it.

Statistically, about one in four working people in Germany becomes unable to work in their profession at some point. The state safety net barely exists – a private Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung (BU) replaces your income when it matters. If the conditions are right. That's our job.

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~25%: of workers become occupationally disabled during their career – mostly through illness, not accidents.
€0: state occupational disability pension for anyone born after 1961 – only a much stricter "Erwerbsminderungsrente" remains.
<40%: of net income is what the state disability benefit often amounts to – not enough to live on.
1×: getting it right once beats switching later: age and health determine your premium forever.

What matters

Price is easy to compare. Conditions decide claims.

Whether a BU actually pays is written in the policy conditions. We vet every tariff for:

No "abstract referral" (abstrakte Verweisung): you cannot be pointed to just any other job.
Clean 50% rule & 6-month prognosis: disabled means unable to perform your own profession at 50%+ for a projected six months.
Guaranteed increase options: raise your benefit after marriage, children or salary jumps – without new health questions.
Benefit dynamics: your payout keeps pace with inflation once a claim runs.
Fair deadlines: retroactive payments instead of traps for late notification.
Stable pricing: net vs. gross premium and the insurer's track record of adjustments.

The crucial step

Anonymous risk pre-check – before any application.

Pre-existing conditions are rarely a deal-breaker – badly filed applications are. We submit your health history anonymously to several insurers and see how each would rate you. Only when the outcome is right do we file the real application.

This avoids formal rejections that end up in the industry's shared risk database (HIS) and haunt every later application – one of the most expensive mistakes in German insurance.

Your identity stays hidden from insurers
Realistic acceptance terms before applying
We negotiate surcharges and exclusions down

Who it's for

The earlier, the better – for almost every profession.

Premiums depend on age, occupation and health. None of them improve by waiting.

Students & graduates

Lowest premiums, best health, top occupational class for academic careers – the ideal moment to lock in.

Employees

The state benefit rarely covers a mortgage or family. We size the insured benefit to your real fixed costs.

Freelancers

No employer, often no state claims at all – BU plus sick-pay insurance is existential for the self-employed.

Expats & internationals

Cover typically continues even if you later leave Germany – we check portability before you sign.

Common questions

BU, clearly answered.

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How much benefit should I insure?

Rule of thumb: 70–80% of your net income, at minimum your fixed monthly costs plus retirement savings. Guaranteed increase options let the benefit grow with your career later.

What does occupational disability insurance cost?

It depends on age, occupation, health and benefit level. A healthy 25-year-old office professional often pays under €50/month for a €1,500 monthly benefit; physical occupations pay more. We always compare net and gross premiums across the full term.

I have pre-existing conditions – can I still get covered?

Often yes. Through the anonymous pre-check we find the insurer that rates your history best – outcomes range from normal acceptance to a surcharge or a specific exclusion. The key: never apply blindly.

Does it pay for mental health conditions?

Yes – psychological illness is actually the most common cause of occupational disability in Germany (about a third of cases) and fully covered in good tariffs. Another reason why conditions and clean applications matter so much.

What happens if I leave Germany?

Good tariffs offer worldwide cover, so benefits are paid regardless of where you live. Premium payment and claim procedures need checking per tariff – as your broker, we factor your mobility into the selection from the start.

Your income won't wait

Every year of waiting makes it more expensive.

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