The Social Insurance Agency has prepared an overview of the most frequent questions and answers on the current topic – parental pension (also known as the parental bonus) based on previous submissions from clients.
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Parental pension – frequently asked questions and answers
Answers to the most frequent questions
The entitlement to a parental pension arises from 1 January 2023 at the earliest. In the first year, i.e. in 2023, the Social Insurance Agency will decide on entitlement to a parental pension by the end of September 2023 at latest. The Social Insurance Agency will only make a decision if entitlement to a parental pension arises and will send them a written decision to that effect.
Beneficiaries of old age pensions, and invalidity and service pensions paid when they reach pensionable age are entitled to a parental pension if their children have paid contributions to pension insurance to the Social Insurance Agency in 2021.
No. The Social Insurance Agency will automatically award the parental pension to the biological parent or the guardian of the insuree. An exception is made if the child does not wish the parental pension to be awarded to one or both biological/adoptive parents. In these cases, they should send the Social Insurance Agency the completed Declaration for the Purposes of Parental Pension Entitlement form by 28 February 2023.
The form is available on the Social Insurance Agency website (Declaration for the Purposes of Parental Pension Entitlement) or at Social Insurance Agency branches in all regions of Slovakia. Following completion of the form, the beneficiary (child) may deliver the form to the Social Insurance Agency in one of three ways:
in person at a Social Insurance Agency branch – a Social Insurance Agency employee will verify the identity and details of the beneficiary (client) – the client completes the declaration on the Social Insurance Agency’s website, prints it, and submits it with all needed attachments (a court’s final judgement on placement in substitute care*) to the Social Insurance Agency branch, where the form is signed by a branch employee;
by post – the signature of the beneficiary (client) on the declaration is certified by a notary or a registry office – the client completes the declaration on the Social Insurance Agency’s website, prints it, and posts it with any attachments (a court’s final judgement on placement in substitute care*) to the address: Sociálna poisťovňa, ústredie, Ul. 29. augusta 8, 813 63 Bratislava 1,
general submission through the portal slovensko.sk (Declaration for the Purposes of Parental Pension Entitlement) – the client completes the declaration on the Social Insurance Agency’s website, then saves it and sends it together with any annexes to the Social Insurance Agency via the slovensko.sk portal (the client only submits attachments if they wish to have the parental pension remitted to the person to whom they have been entrusted for care, in which case it is a copy of the court judgement on placement in substitute care* with the legal validity clause).
*a person to whom the child has been entrusted by a decision of a competent authority – i.e. for personal surrogate care
via the insuree’s Electronic Account – the application can be found in the left-hand menu in the Pension Insurance section. The insuree enters the new application by clicking on the ‘+New declaration’ button, then the pre-filled form is displayed, in which they fill in the required data and then send the declaration electronically.
using the eService Filing of a Declaration for the Purposes of Parental Pension Entitlement on the portal slovensko.sk – the client completes and sends the form directly in the electronic services environment using an electronic citizen’s ID card and reader, or the Slovensko mobile application (the client encloses attachments to the submission only if they wish to have a parental pension remitted to the person to whom they have been entrusted for care, in which case it is a copy of the court judgement on placement in substitute care with the legal validity clause).
Yes, this is possible and you do so through the Declaration for the Purposes of Parental Pension Entitlement, in which you fill out the details of only the parent to whom you do not wish to have the parental pension sent. Also, do not forget to have your signature certified on the Declaration (at the Registry Office or by a notary) if you send it by post. The form must be delivered to the Social Insurance Agency by 28 February 2023.
It is also necessary to complete the Declaration for the Purposes of Parental Pension Entitlement so that your biological parents do not become entitled to a parental pension and, at the same time, to specify the person(s) to whom you have been entrusted for substitute care in the declaration and attach the relevant court judgement on placement in substitute care with the legal validity clause. The form must be delivered to the Social Insurance Agency by 28 February 2023. Also, do not forget to have your signature certified on the Declaration (at the or by a notary) if you send it by post.
No, pension insurance contributions will remain the same. The awarding of a parental pension to parent(s)/‘substitute parent(s)’ does not mean either an increase in contributions or a reduction in future pension benefits. The parental pension paid to your parents will not reduce your future pension.
If the entitlement to a parental pension arose in 2023, the Social Insurance Agency will assess whether the conditions for entitlement to a parental pension will continue to be met in each calendar year thereafter and determine the amount from the child’s assessment bases from the previous two years.
Put simply, the child’s assessment bases (gross earnings) from the previous two years are taken into account. The amount of the parental pension is determined as 1.5 per cent of one twelfth of the total of the child’s assessment bases from which old age insurance contributions were paid two years previously. In other words, all income in the year is taken into account – it is not necessary for the child to have been employed for the full 12 months.
Yes, there is a limit – in 2023, the maximum amount of the parental pension will be EUR 21.80 per month.
If more than one pensioner becomes entitled to the parental pension, the maximum amount of the total parental pension is 3 % of the child’s assessment bases. The amount so determined may not exceed EUR 43.60 per month, which is 3 % of one twelfth of 1.2 times the general assessment basis applicable in the calendar year 2021.
Yes, it is possible. The entitlement to and payment of a parental pension arises for the parents or adoptive parents of the child and to a person to whom the child has been entrusted for substitute care by a decision of the competent authority. If more than one pensioner becomes entitled to the parental pension, the maximum amount of the total parental pension is 3 % of the child’s assessment bases. The amount so determined may not exceed EUR 43.60 per month, which is 3 % of one twelfth of 1.2 times the general assessment basis applicable in the calendar year 2021.
No. The maximum amount of the parental pension is 1.5 % of one twelfth of the child’s total assessment basis two years previously – in 2023, this amount will be EUR 21.80 per month for one parent.
The declaration for the purpose of entitlement to a parental pension may only be submitted once a year. Now, for the first time, by 28 February 2023, and by the end of August each year for the following calendar years.
Once the entitlement to a parental pension arises, it lasts for the following 5 years. For example, if you send a declaration to the Social Insurance Agency that you do not wish to have a parental pension sent to one or both parents by the end of August 2024 (and, in the meantime, these parents became automatically entitled on 1 January 2023), the entitlement to a parental pension expires from 1 January 2028.
If a parent becomes entitled to a parental pension in 2023 because their child met the conditions for its payment in 2021, but in 2022 the child had no income, the entitlement will not expire in 2024, but the payment will be suspended. If a child is employed again in 2023 and pays pension insurance contributions, payment of the parental pension will resume from January 2025.
Yes. Parents receive their parental pension in the same way as they receive their pension – either in cash through the post office or on a bank account or in a social service facility.
If a child does not declare that the entitlement to a parental pension has not arisen for the parent by 28 February 2023, i.e. no declaration has been received, the Social Insurance Agency will decide on the entitlement to that pension automatically by 30 September 2023 at the latest, and will pay the amount of the parental pension for 2023 in a single payment. In subsequent years, pensioners will receive the parental pension at the same monthly payment dates as they receive their pension.
What should I do if I do not know my parents’ birth numbers? The birth numbers of my parents are not stated on my birth certificate and they are mandatory information in the declaration.
Clear identification of the person who is not entitled to a parental pension is essential for the assessment of entitlement. If the beneficiary completing the Declaration for the purposes of parental pension entitlement does not have the birth numbers of their parents on their birth certificate, they can obtain the birth numbers at the relevant civil registry office. By law, the civil registry office is authorised, in the presence of the registrar, to allow a child to view the civil register and receive a statement of the parent’s birth number. Parents’ birth numbers have been recorded in the child’s birth certificate since 1 January 1995. Registry Offices have records of birth numbers of citizens born since 1 July 1954.
Those experiencing difficulties with identification of their parents’ birth numbers may contact Social Insurance Agency branches from December 2022, where staff will be able to support them in this regard.
It is sufficient to deliver the Declaration for the Purposes of Parental Pension Entitlement to the Social Insurance Agency by the end of February 2023.
No, under the Data Protection Act (GDPR) this information cannot be provided. The fact of whether or not a parent is entitled to a parental pension depends on whether you notify the Social Insurance Agency that you disagree with the payment. This is done using the Declaration for the Purposes of Parental Pension Entitlement form.
No, entitlement to a payment pension and its payment arises for a beneficiary of an old age pension,an invalidity pension after reaching pensionable age and a service pension after reaching pensionable age.
A person who cares for a child under the age of six and a person who takes care of a child with a chronic medical condition are people compulsorily insured for a pension and the assessment basis from which the State pays pension insurance contributions for these people for the year 2021 is EUR 665.20 per month. The amount of the parental pension is determined as 1.5 % of one twelfth of the total assessment basis. The amount of the parental pension will be determined each year.
Entitlement to a parental pension arises for a beneficiary of an old age pension, an invalidity pension paid after they reach pensionable age and a service pension paid after they reach pensionable age if the child of such a beneficiary has paid contributions to pension insurance in 2021. Thus, if the child is a working pensioner for whom the employer paid pension insurance contributions in 2021, their parents will be entitled to a parental pension in 2023.
No. The parental pension will not be valorised. The amount of the parental pension is determined as 1.5 per cent of one twelfth of the total of the assessment bases for a child from which retirement insurance contributions were paid from two years previously, i.e. the amount of the parental pension may vary each year.
What if I earn more than EUR 200 on such a contract throughout the year – will my parents be entitled to a parental pension?
If you are a contract worker with a levy deduction and income up to EUR 200 per month, you are not insured for a pension, i.e. you do not acquire an assessment basis on which entitlement to a parental pension is based. There is no entitlement to a parental pension.
If you are a contract worker with a levy deduction and have an income above EUR 200 per month, you will be insured for a pension and you will acquire an assessment basis on which entitlement to a parental pension is based. The assessment bases for entitlement and the amount of the parental pension are determined each year.
If you have been registered as unemployed throughout 2021, there will be no entitlement to a parental pension and its payment in 2023. For 2024, entitlement to a parental pension and its payment will be reassessed according to your situation in 2022.
If you were employed in 2021, the entitlement to a parental pension arises in 2023. If your situation changed in 2022 and you were unemployed for the whole year, your entitlement will not cease in 2024, and payment of the parental pension will only be suspended for the year. If your situation changes in 2023 and you become employed again, the parental pension will be paid again from January 2025.
The decision will specify the names and surnames of the children, the assessment bases and the amount of parental pension for each child from whom entitlement to a parental pension has been derived.
If, however, the pensioner becomes entitled to a parental pension at the maximum amount because the amount of the child’s assessment basis was higher than 1.5 % of one twelfth of 1.2 times the general assessment basis, instead of a specific amount of the child’s assessment basis, the decision on the parental pension will specify the mentioned maximum usable amount of the assessment basis.
If several declarations are received from one child by 28 February 2023, the last declaration submitted will be accepted.
The decision on the parental pension for 2024 will be issued and sent to the pensioner only if they meet the condition for entitlement to a parental pension. For example, if the pensioner became entitled to a parental pension in 2023 and continues to fulfil the conditions, the decision will be issued and sent in early 2024.
YES. If a child does not wish to have a parental pension awarded to a parent who reaches pensionable age during 2023, the declaration should be delivered to the Social Insurance Agency by 28 February 2023.
YES. Send a short informal written communication to the Social Insurance Agency – a request for cancellation of a Declaration for the Purposes of Parental Pension Entitlement. Your request must be signed by you and sent by no later than 28 February 2023.
Additional questions and answers
There is no statutory minimum amount from which entitlement to payment of a parental pension arises.
Yes, a child can also give consent for up to 4 people. Fulfilment of the condition of raising the child will be examined.
Only an entitled person – a child can make a declaration of whether a parental pension should be awarded/not awarded. The legislation does not allow a parent to refuse to accept a parental pension. According to Article 39(5) of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, everyone has the right to decide that part of paid tax or part of a payment linked to participation in the system of adequate material security in old age will be provided to the person who raised them and to whom material security in old age is provided.
If parents have four working children who have not made a declaration of non-contribution to a parental pension, both parents will receive the parental pension from all four children.
No, without a court decision to entrust the child into substitute care, a parental pension cannot be awarded.
Yes, it is sufficient if the child was insured for only one day in 2021.
No. The maximum amount of the parental pension is 1.5 % of one twelfth of the child’s total assessment basis two years previously – in 2023, this amount will be EUR 21.80 per month for one parent.
Yes, this is possible. The entitlement to and payment of a parental pension arises for the parents or adoptive parents of the child and to a person to whom the child has been entrusted for substitute care by a decision of the competent authority. If several pensioners become entitled to a parental pension, the maximum amount of the parental pension is 3 % of the child’s assessment bases. The amount so determined may not exceed EUR 43.60 per month, which is 3 % of one twelfth of 1.2 times the general assessment basis applicable in the calendar year 2021.
No, if the grandfather was not entrusted with the care of the child by the court judgement.
Yes, but not earlier than as of 1 January 2023.
No. The parental pension will not affect the amount of the parent’s 13th and 14th pensions. The amount of the parental pension is determined as 1.5 per cent of one twelfth of the total of the assessment bases for a child from which old age insurance contributions were paid from two years previously, i.e. the amount of the parental pension may vary each year.
No. The maximum amount of the parental pension is 1.5 % of one twelfth of the child’s total assessment basis two years previously for one parent.
No, the legislation does not allow for this.
A parent who receives an invalidity pension may become entitled to a parental pension, but only after reaching pensionable age.
YES. If the basic condition that the child worked in Slovakia in 2021 and pension insurance contributions were paid from the child’s assessment basis (gross wage) is fulfilled, the parent is entitled to a parental pension even if they receive a pension from abroad only. When making a return, whether a parent lives in Slovakia or abroad is not decisive.
Since the Social Insurance Agency does not have data on pensioners from abroad only (whether they are living in Slovakia or abroad), such a pensioner must apply for awarding of a parental pension to the Social Insurance Agency. This can be done:
by filling in the form ‘Application for the Awarding of a Parental Pension to a Beneficiary of a Pension Abroad only (not applicable to pension beneficiaries of the Social Insurance Agency and pension beneficiaries of service pensions)’ published on the Social Security Agency website;
or by an informal application. The form, or informal application, may be submitted by post or in person.
The birth certificates of the children should be attached to the form or informal application for the purposes of identifying family relationships, but only if the pensioner is a foreign natural.
The Social Insurance y Agency will also accept an informal application and birth certificates in the applicant’s native language.
The application may also be submitted after 28 February 2023.
Please note that recipients of pensions paid from the Social Insurance Agency and service pensions do not have to apply for the awarding of a parental pension.
If the child worked in Slovakia in 2021 and pension insurance contributions were paid from their assessment basis (gross wage), their parents are entitled to a parental pension even if they receive a pension from abroad only.
If a child wishes the Social Insurance Agency to forward the pension to the substitute parents, or does not want it to be paid to their biological parents (or one of them), the Declaration for the Purposes of Parental Pension Entitlement must be delivered to the Social Insurance Agency by 28 February 2023. An application can also be made ‘as a precaution’ if the child is unsure whether their parent has already reached pensionable age or will reach it in the course of 2023.
Examples – Entitlement and determination of the amount
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When the entitlement to the parental pension arises/does not arise according to the receipt of the declaration (if the child does not wish the parental pension to be provided to the parents)
1. An old age pensioner raised one child since 25 March 2012. If the declaration for the parental pension not to be awarded is received by the Social Insurance Agency by
25 February 2023 – entitlement to a parental pension does not arise;
25 March 2023 – entitlement to a parental pension arises from 1 January 2023. In order for entitlement to a parental pension not to arise in 2023, the declaration needed to be delivered to the Social Insurance Agency by 28 February 2023. Since the declaration was received after the expiry of the statutory time period, the entitlement to a parental pension ceases at the earliest on 1 January 2028.
2. A pensioner who has raised one child became entitled to a parental pension from 1 January 2023. If the declaration for the parental pension not to be awarded is received by the Social Insurance Agency by
25 August 2027 – entitlement to a parental pension ceases from 1 January 2028;
30 September 2027 – entitlement to a parental pension ceases from 1 January 2029, since the child failed to make the declaration by 31 August 2027 at the latest.
Determination of the amount of the parental pension
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For the purposes of determining the amount of the parental pension:
the assessment basis (AB) of a child from which old age insurance contributions were paid for the calendar year two years prior to the calendar year in question;
the general assessment basis (GAB), valid for the calendar year two years prior to the calendar year in question.
The relevant calendar year is 2023. For the purposes of determining the amount of the parental pension, the AB of a child for the calendar year 2021 or the GAB for the calendar year 2021 is taken into account.
The pensioner became entitled to a parental pension and its payment on 1 January 2023. They raised one child with an AB of EUR 12 000 for the calendar year 2021. The amount of the parental pension is determined from this amount as follows:
One twelfth of the total AB is EUR 1 000 (12 000: 12 = 1 000).
1.5 % of one twelfth is EUR 15 (1 000 x 1.5 % = 15).
In 2023, the amount of the parental pension is EUR 15 per month.
The maximum amount of the parental pension in 2023 is determined from the GAB applicable to 2021.
The GAB for 2021 is EUR 14 532.
One twelfth of the EUR 14 532 is EUR 1 211 (14 532: 12 = 1 211).
1.2 times the GAB is EUR 1 453.20 (1 211 x 1.2 = 1 453.20).
1.5 % of one twelfth of 1.2 times the GAB is EUR 21.80 per month (1453.20 x 1.5 % = 21.798 ≐ 21, 80).
In 2023, the maximum amount of the parental pension is EUR 21.80 per month.
Three pension beneficiaries were entitled to a parental pension and its payment on 1 January 2023 from the AB for one child.
The AB for the child was EUR 12 000 for the calendar year 2021.
One twelfth of the total AB is EUR 1 000 (12 000: 12 = 1 000).
1.5 % of one twelfth of the total AB is EUR 15 (1 000 x 1.5 % = 15).
3 % of one twelfth of the total AB is EUR 30 (1 000 x 3 % = 30).
The total amount of the parental pension of the three pension beneficiaries is EUR 45 per month (15 x 3 = 45).
Since this amount is higher than 3 % of one twelfth of the total AB of the child, i.e. EUR 30, the proportionately reduced amount of the parental pension for each pensioner is EUR 10 per month (30 / 45 = 0.66666666; 0.66666666 x 15 = 9.9999999 ≐ 10).
The maximum total of the amounts of the parental pension in 2023 is determined from the GAB applicable to 2021.
The GAB for 2021 is EUR 14 532.
One twelfth of the EUR 14 532 is EUR 1 211 (14 532: 12 = 1 211).
1.2 times the GAB is EUR 1 453.20 (1 211 x 1.2 = 1 453.20).
3 % of one twelfth of 1.2 times the GAB is = EUR 43.60 per month (1453.20 x 3 % = 43.596 ≐ 43.60).
In the relevant calendar year 2023, the highest total of the amounts of the parental pension is determined from 1.2 times the GAB at 43.60 euros a month.
Three pension beneficiaries were entitled to a parental pension and its payment on 1 January 2023 from the AB for one child.
The child’s AB for the calendar year 2021 was EUR 30 000.
One twelfth of the total AB is EUR 2 500 (30 000: 12 = 2 500).
Since one twelfth of the AB, i.e. EUR 2 500, is higher than 1.2 times one twelfth of the GAB in 2021, i.e. EUR 1 453.20, the amount of parental pension for each pensioner is EUR 21.80 (1 453.20 x 1.5 % = 21.798 ≐ 21, 80).
Since the total amount of the parental pension, i.e. EUR 65.40 (21.80 x 3 = 65.40), is higher than 3 % of one twelfth of 1.2 times the GAB, i.e. EUR 43.60 (1 453.20 x 3 % = 43.596 ≐ 43.60), the proportionately reduced amount of parental pension for each pensioner is EUR 14.60 per month (43.60 / 65.40 = 0.66666666; 0.6666666 x 21.80 = 14.5333318 ≐14.60).