Sickness and disability

Sickness: you continue to accrue pension

In the first 2 years of your sickness you accrue 100% of pension. Even if your salary should drop. If your employment contract ends in the first 2 years of your sickness, your pension accrual ends as well. You can carry on your pension accrual voluntarily under certain conditions. But if you become disabled afterwards, your pension accrual becomes free from contributions.

Disability: you continue to accrue pension

UWV will perform a medical test if you have not resumed work after 2 years of sickness. UWV decides whether or not you can be considered disabled and the percentage of your disability. If your disability exceeds 35%, you will receive UWV benefits. Your pension accrual partially continues. You and your employer are not required to pay; you are both exempt from paying pension contributions. Perhaps you continue to work part-time, in addition to UWV benefits. Find out below what this means for your pension.

UWV uses a maximum salary to calculate the WIA allowance. This maximum amounts to some 55,000 euros. Did you earn more on your fist day of sickness and did your employer take out WIA shortfall insurance with PME? You may be entitled to a WIA shortfall allowance from PME. This is a disability pension to supplement your state WIA allowance. You will be automatically notified by us about the supplement.  

Have you almost recovered, but do you need more time to reintegrate? Apply for a voluntary extension of continued salary payment with your employer. During this extra time period, you and your employer both work towards your continued reintegration.

Occupational disability of less than 35%

In that case you do not get an UWV allowance. You will not be exempted from paying contributions for your pension accrual either. If you continue to work with an employer in the metal and technology sector, you accrue pension from the hours you do work. If you leave this sector, your pension accrual with PME ends.

Occupational disability between 35% and 80%

PME will pay the pension contributions (for old-age, partner and orphan's pension) proportional to the percentage of your occupational disability. Your pension accrual partially continues, but you do not have to pay contributions. The amount of your non-contributory pension accrual depends on your disability percentage and on the salary your earned on your first day of sickness (see table below). Do you still work in addition to your WIA allowance? In that case you accrue a normal pension from the salary you earn. You and your employer pay the normal pension contributions for that part.

Are you fully disabled?

You accrue 70% of pension from the portion of your disability. PME pays all of the contributions for your non-contributory pension accrual. Your pension accrual continues partially, but you do not have to pay contributions. The amount of accrued non-contributory pension depends on your disability percentage and the salary you earned on the first day of your sickness (see table below). Do you still work in addition to your WIA allowance? In that case your exemption from contributions will be adjusted accordingly.

Did you become disabled prior to 2014?

In 2014 various pension funds and insurance companies signed a covenant about income protection in case of occupational disability. As a result, the requirements for entitlement to non-contributory continuation have become less stringent. This means that your pension accrual (partially) continues, but you and your employer do not pay pension contributions. PME takes on these pension contribution payments. The less stringent conditions have been in force since 2014.

If you became disabled before 2014, you must have accrued pension with PME without interruption until your first WIA/WAO day ór until and including the first WAO year. We are, however, less stringent when it comes to the application term for non-contributory continuation. 

If you have become disabled during your participation in the PME scheme and you do not take part in non-contributory continuation, please contact us. Together, we can find out if you are entitled to non-contributory continuation.

Consequences for supplementary and plus schemes

Did you have an additional or plus scheme, such as Anw gap pension or Pension accrual above the salary threshold? In that case, you may be able to continue it as a non-contributory scheme. Would you like more information or do you have questions? Please contact us.

Did you take part in a WIA shortfall pension scheme? You will be notified automatically. Any Temporary Risk Coverage partner and orphan's pension scheme you may have had, will end. 

Good to know

• If your disability percentage changes, we will be notified automatically by UWV.
• In all situations mentioned above, you must be a participant in the PME pension scheme on the first day of sickness.
• Are you becoming disabled more than 35%? You may be entitled to (partial) non-contributory pension accrual. Please contact us.
• Any change in your disability percentage affects your pension accrual. If your disability percentage changes, your non-contributory pension accrual may increase or decrease. See the table above.
• If you should end up in early IVA, make sure to contact us. We are happy to help you.