This chapter contains what you need to know about the invalidity pension in Cyprus.

This covers:

• the basic invalidity pension;
• the supplementary invalidity pension.

In what situation can I claim?

The invalidity pension is payable to insured employees and self-employed persons and to voluntarily insured persons working for a Cypriot employer overseas who have been off work for at least 156 days and who, within that period, demonstrate that they are going to remain permanently incapable of work i.e. that they are unable to obtain, in the context of an activity which they would in principle be able to perform under normal circumstances, an income above one third of the amount generally earned by a healthy person with the same level of education exercising the same occupation in the same region; or, in the case of people aged from 60 to 63, to those incapable of earning an income greater than half of that amount.

What conditions do I need to meet?

The applicant must satisfy the following insurance conditions:

• to have completed actual basic insurance of at least 3 insurance points and for 156 weeks to have passed since the day the insurance commenced;
• to have a weekly average actual and assimilated basic insurance equal to at least 25% of the years which fall within the reference period; and
• to have actual or assimilated insurance in the relevant contribution year equal to at least 0.39 of the insurance point, or for the average of such insurance during the 2 completed contribution years before the benefit year to not be less than 0.39 of the insurance point.

In the case of incapacity caused by an accident, the insured person is entitled to an incapacity pension as long as, on the day of the accident, he or she satisfied the insurance conditions which apply to sickness benefit.

Although for the purpose of establishing entitlement only contributions by employees, self-employed persons and voluntarily insured persons working for a Cypriot employer overseas are taken into account; when calculating the amount of the pension domestic voluntary contributions are also taken into account. The persons concerned may claim invalidity pension up to the age of 63 for either partial or total invalidity (there is no mention of a lower age limit).

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

The invalidity pension has two components: the basic pension and the supplementary pension.

When the loss of earning capacity is total a full invalidity pension is paid, calculated as follows:

• The rate of the basic weekly pension is equivalent to 60% of the weekly value of the annual average of the insurance points of the actual and assimilated basic insurance and increases to 80%, 90% or 100% depending on whether there are one, two or three dependants. In the case of an insured person, without a dependent spouse, a 10% increase is paid for each dependant up to a maximum of two.

• The rate of the supplementary weekly pension is equivalent to 1/52 of 1.5% of the total of the beneficiary's actual and assimilated insurable earnings under supplementary insurance.

The total pension (basic and supplementary) may not be less than 85% of the basic pension which the beneficiary would receive if he had full insurance in the standard part of the Plan.

When the loss of earning capacity is partial, the invalidity pension is reduced as a percentage of the full pension by an amount which is calculated relative to the loss of earning capacity, as follows:

• Beneficiaries also receive free healthcare provided by state hospitals and institutions;
• Those concerned must submit an application for invalidity pension within 3 months of the day on which the permanent incapacity began.

Jargon busters

• Basic insurance: includes the insurable earnings for each year up to the amount of the basic insurable earnings i.e. up to one point.
• Supplementary insurance: includes insurable earnings for each year above the amount of the basic insurable earnings.
• Insurance points: the result arrived at by converting real and assimilated insurable earnings to insurance points.
• Relevant contribution year: in relation to benefits, this means the last contribution year before the benefit year which includes the date on which the insurance conditions attached to the benefit must be satisfied (i.e. the relevant contribution year is 2021 for the first half of 2023 and 2022 for the second half of 2023).
• Benefit year: the period of time which commences on the first Monday of July each year and ends on the last Sunday before the first Monday of July in the following year.

Dependent members:

• the spouse with whom he/she lives or whom he/she maintains and is not gainfully occupied;
• a child aged under 15 years;
• an unmarried daughter aged between 15 and 23 years who receives regular care;
• an unmarried son aged between 15 and 25 years who is serving his term in the National Guard or is receiving regular education;
• a child, regardless of age, who is permanently incapable of self-support;
• a husband who is unable to work and who is supported by his wife;
• a parent who is unable to work and is supported by the insured person;
• a younger brother or sister of minor age if maintained by the insured person.

Forms you may need to fill in

• Application for invalidity pension

Know your rights

The links below define your rights legally. They are not European Commission websites and they do not represent the Commission's views:

• Social insurance legislation;
• Guide to sickness benefit and invalidity pension.

European Commission publication and website:

• http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=849&langId=en.

Who do you need to contact?

Social Insurance Services

• Headquarters
• Leoforos Vyronos 7
• 1465 Nicosia
• CYPRUS
• http://www.mlsi.gov.cy/sid