How to apply for a parental pension

What is a parental pension?

Since 1 November 2022, a new type of pension benefit – the parental pension – has been introduced. Entitlement to a parental pension may arise from 1 January 2023 at the earliest.

With effect from 1 January 2023, the Slovak Constitution guarantees any insuree 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. Exercise of the right may not have a negative impact on adequate material security in old age.

This means that the Slovak Constitution guarantees directly that granting a parental pension will not have a negative impact on your child’s pension.

(The adopted and approved legislation on the parental pension is a reaction to Constitutional Act No 422/2022, which added Article 39(5) to the Constitution of the Slovak Republic.)

Am I entitled to a parental pension?

The entitlement to a parental pension for a beneficiary of

• a retirement pension;
• an invalidity pension after reaching retirement age; and
• a service pension paid after reaching pensionable age pursuant to Act No 328/2002 on social security for police officers and soldiers and amending certain acts, as amended

(hereinafter ‘pensioner’) who is

• the parent or guardian of a child and the child did not declare that the entitlement to a parental pension had not arisen by 31 August of the calendar year preceding the calendar year in question;
• a person who has raised a child entrusted into substitute care by a decision of a competent authority and declares that the entitlement to the parental pension has arisen by 31 August of the calendar year preceding the relevant calendar year.

In order to qualify for a parental pension,

• a person must fulfil the condition of raising a child (pursuant to Section 60a(1)(a), (b) or (d) of Act No 461/2003 on social insurance, as amended by Act No 321/2019);
• a child must be insured for a pension in the year preceding the relevant calendar year by 2 years (for example, in order to become entitled to a parental pension in 2023, the child must be insured for a pension in 2021). The pension insurance requirement is also met if the child was insured for only one day.

The person to whom the child has been entrusted for substitute care by a decision of a competent authority may be, for example:

• a person to whom a child has been placed in personal substitute care;
• a person to whom the child has been entrusted for foster care; or
• a guardian, if they personally took care of the child.

The relevant calendar year is the calendar year for which compliance with the conditions for entitlement to payment of a parental pension is assessed.

How do I apply for a parental pension?

There is no need to apply for a parental pension.

If you are the parent or guardian of a child, you are entitled to a parental pension by law. This means that the child does not have to submit any statement. Entitlement to a parental pension does not arise by law if the child makes a declaration within the statutory period so that the entitlement does not arise.

A person to whom the child has been entrusted for substitute care by a decision of a competent authority (hereinafter ‘person’) shall be entitled to a parental pension if the child has declared that this person is entitled to it within the statutory time limit.

Can the child change the statement?

Yes. The Social Insurance Agency takes into account those declarations that are received last within the statutory time limit for the declaration.

When will I find out if my pension has been awarded?

You will receive the decision on your parental pension by post or in an electronic mailbox if one has been activated.

The Social Insurance Agency will decide on entitlement to a parental pension arising up to 28 February 2023 and on the entitlement to its payment at the latest by 30 September 2023.

What does my pension depend on?

The amount of the parental pension depends on the amount of the assessment basis of the child from whom the entitlement to the parental pension is derived.

The amount of the parental pension is determined as 1.5 % of one twelfth of the total assessment basis of the child. The maximum amount of the parental pension is determined as 1.5 % of one twelfth of 1.2 times the general assessment basis.

How will my pension be paid?

The parental pension is paid monthly (in advance), always at a regular recurring date.

An exception is parental pension for 2023. The Social Insurance Agency will pay the parental pension for 2023 in one aggregate payment.

How is a pension paid in a social services facility?

If you are accommodated at a social services facility, your pension will be transferred to this facility by a collective payment, unless you apply for another method of receiving your pension.

When does entitlement to the parental pension expire?

Obviously, if the statutory conditions continue to be met, entitlement to a parental pension lasts indefinitely. The Social Insurance Agency will assess compliance with the conditions for entitlement to a parental pension every year.

The entitlement to a parental pension expires if the child makes a statement to discontinue the entitlement. In such case, the entitlement to a parental pension expires at the earliest from 1 January of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the entitlement most recently arose. The condition is that the child makes this declaration at the latest by 31 August of the calendar year preceding the fifth calendar year following the last entitlement to a parental pension.

Example 1:

On 1 January 2023, the pensioner became entitled to a parental pension and its payment. On 2 February 2026, the child declares that entitlement to the parental pension has expired. Entitlement to a parental pension expires from 1 January 2028, since 2028 is the fifth year following the last entitlement to a parental pension.

If the child makes a declaration after this deadline, or by 31 August of the next calendar year following the fifth calendar year after the last entitlement to a parental pension, the effects of the declaration shall be postponed by one calendar year.

Example 2:

On 1 January 2023, the pensioner became entitled to a parental pension and its payment. On 30 September 2027, the child declares that the entitlement to the parental pension has expired. The entitlement to a parental pension expires from 1 January 2029, as the child failed to make the declaration by 31 August 2027 at the latest.

The statement does not incur any legal effects in relation to a parental pension whose entitlement derives from a child who did not make the declaration.

Example 3:

A pensioner raised two children, Janka and Danka. On 1 January 2023, the pensioner became entitled to a parental pension and its payment. On 1 June 2026, Janka declares that the entitlement to a parental pension has expired. The entitlement to a parental pension derived from Janka expires from 1 January 2028, since 2028 is the fifth year from the last entitlement to a parental pension. Entitlement to a parental pension derived from Danka continues to exist.

If my entitlement to a parental pension expires once, can it arise again?

Yes. Entitlement to a parental pension may arise again if the child declares that entitlement to a parental pension has arisen by 31 August of the calendar year preceding the calendar year concerned.

Entitlement to a parental pension arises from 1 January of the relevant calendar year. This is conditional on the child being insured for a pension in the year preceding the relevant calendar year by two years.

Example:

Entitlement to a parental pension expires on 1 January 2028. On 25 May 2028, the child declares that the entitlement to it has arisen. Entitlement to a parental pension arises from 1 January 2029, subject to fulfilment of other statutory conditions.

Legislation in force since 1 January 2023

The entitlement to a parental pension arises from 1 January 2023 at the earliest.

The declaration for the purpose of entitlement to a parental pension can be made up to 28 February 2023.

The Social Insurance Agency will decide on the entitlement to a parental pension that arose up to 28 February 2023 and on the entitlement to its payment at the latest by 30 September 2023.

For the year 2023, the Social Insurance Agency will pay the parental pension in one lump sum

How is it with the personal data protection issue?

Pursuant to Art. 170 (2) of Act on Social Insurance

The Social Insurance Agency can provide data from its information system only with the consent of natural persons and legal entities to whom the data directly relate, unless this Act or a special regulation stipulates otherwise. The Social Insurance Agency may provide data pursuant to para 1 without the consent of the natural persons and legal entities concerned to third parties only to the extent necessary for the performance of activities related to the collection and processing of receivables and to participants in the proceedings on the entitlement to parental pension, widow's pension, widower's pension or orphan's pension or the entitlement to their payment, if it concerns personal data mentioned in the decision, which are necessary to assess the entitlement to parental pension, widow's pension, widower's pension or orphan's pension or the entitlement to their payment. The consent of the person concerned is not required for the transfer of data for the performance of social insurance necessary for social insurance providers of a Member State of the European Union, a State that is a party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation and a state with which the Slovak Republic has concluded a social security agreement. For the provision of personal data in connection with the performance of the function of the Access Point pursuant to Art. 120 (5), the consent of the person concerned is not required.

The assessment basis stated in the decision is provided in order to fulfil the provisions of Art. 209 of Act on Social Insurance, according to which the Social Insurance Agency must, among other things, state the facts that were the ground for the decision. One of the basic facts is and GDPR).

FORMS related to parental pension

The parental pension is paid automatically to those pensioners who are entitled to it. There is no need to apply for it, so you do not need any form. The following forms are intended only for children of pensioners who want to refuse or redirect this pension to their parents or for a pensioner who requests the awarding of a parental pension for a pension recipient only from abroad.

• Declaration of a natural person (child) for the purpose of entitlement to a parental pension in case of refusal to pay the parental pension or in the event that the natural person wants to transfer the parental pension to the person to whom s/he has been entrusted based on a court decision can be found here: Declaration of a Natural Person for the Purpose of Entitlement to a Parental Pension

• Declaration of a natural person (child) for the purpose of entitlement to parental pension - if you have submitted a declaration and want to change it, you can find it here: Cancellation/Change of Declaration of a Natural Person for the Purpose of Entitlement to a Parental Pension

• The application intended exclusively for a pensioner who receives a pension only from abroad and requests the awarding of a parental pension can be found here: Application for the Awarding of a Parental Pension of a Pension Recipient Only from Abroad (the application does not apply to recipients of pensions paid from the Social Insurance Agency and recipients of pensions paid from service security).

You can deliver the selected form to:

• in person or by mail to a branch of the Social Insurance Agency
• through the Electronic Account of an Insuree (EAI) – you can fill out the declaration or its change and send it directly in the EAI (except for the Application for the Awarding of a Parental Pension of a Pension Recipient Only from Abroad)
• through the electronic mailbox, if you have it activated and you use an electronic identity card - eID (via the Central Portal of the Public Administration slovensko.sk).

The most common clients’ questions can be found in the PARENTAL PENSION – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS section.

For more information, see PENSION INSURANCE – PARENTAL PENSION.