# Retirement pension and social compensation
Retiring means much more than concluding your professional life; at the time of retirement, the average person still has about a quarter of their life to look forward to. That is why the end of your working life also represents a new start. Here you will find the services that can support you in your transition to a new phase of life.
To ServicesInformation about Rights & Duties
If you would like information about your future pension entitlements and your pension start date, you can request this informally at any time.
From your 27th birthday onwards, you will receive annual pension information from your pension insurance provider if you have paid contributions for a total of at least 5 years. You can also request the pension information informally at any time.
Victims of the SED dictatorship are entitled to a monthly victim's pension of up to 250 euros on application under certain conditions.
Persons who:
- have suffered a total of at least 180 days of deprivation of liberty in violation of the rule of law,
- there are no grounds for exclusion (violation of the principles of humanity or the rule of law, position seriously abused for one's own benefit or to the detriment of others, have significantly promoted the system of the time in the accession area or sentenced to a prison sentence of at least three years for an intentional crime, provided that the decision is contained in information from the Federal Central Register),
- are particularly affected by their economic situation.
Some municipalities offer citizens who are dependent on state social benefits, for example, a special pass to take advantage of discounts.
If you have lost your job in the mining industry, you can receive a miners' compensation benefit (Knappschaftsausgleichsleistung, KAL) under certain conditions.
The senior citizens' pass is intended to make it easier for older people to maintain contact with their peers and to participate in social life.
The Senior Citizens' Pass is intended to make it easier for older people to maintain contact with their peers and to participate in social life.