Monthly income
The agreed pension should cover fixed costs and the desired standard of living.
Occupational disability insurance
Protect income when work is no longer possible.
The diagnosis alone is not decisive; what matters is how illness or accident affects the occupation actually performed most recently.
Benefit basis
Actual occupational capacity is central.
Insured pension, waiting period, prognosis period and referral clauses must fit together clearly.
Actual working day
The real duties before impairment matter, not merely the job title.
Policy definition
Many policies require a specified degree of disability and prognosis period.
Other occupations
Abstract or concrete referral may substantially affect entitlement.
Life changes
Income growth, marriage, children or property purchase should be accommodated where possible without new health evidence.
Complete information
Previous illnesses, treatment and symptoms must be carefully prepared.
Needs analysis
Pension amount and term must reflect income needs.
Pension amount
Consider fixed costs, family, loans and existing benefits.
Expiry age
Align cover as far as possible with the planned retirement age.
Indexation
Use policy and benefit escalation to cushion inflation and income growth.
Terms
Compare referral, prognosis periods, reporting duties and reassessment.
Benefit assessment
Medical and occupational evidence must be documented together.
A medical report alone rarely explains which specific occupational duties can no longer be performed.
Map the working day
Document time shares, physical and mental requirements and responsibility.
Function rather than diagnosis
Describe limitations, capacity, prognosis and treatment clearly.
Referral and reassessment
Review comparison occupations and later health improvement carefully.
Our role: We combine needs analysis, policy comparison and careful preparation of health questions.
Austrian Supreme Court decisions
View all decisionsOccupational profile, fixed benefits and referral in Supreme Court case law.
These summaries highlight typical disputes and do not replace review of the individual policy.
Purpose of occupational disability insurance
Occupational disability insurance is intended to prevent social decline when occupational capacity is lost prematurely. The occupation actually performed most recently is decisive.
Official RIS decision →Benefit without proof of a specific financial loss
Occupational disability cover is a fixed-benefit insurance. Once the contractual insured event occurs, the agreed benefit does not depend on proof of a specific income loss.
Official RIS decision →Referral to another occupation
Referral requires an occupation sufficiently comparable in training, experience, social status and income. A broad job title alone is not enough.
Official RIS decision →Frequently asked questions
All questionsKey occupational-disability questions.
Is a diagnosis alone sufficient?
No. The decisive issue is the expected impact on the actual occupation.
How high should the pension be?
It should realistically cover fixed costs and the income gap within the insurer’s acceptance limits.
What does referral mean?
Depending on the terms, the insurer may refer the insured to another sufficiently comparable occupation.
Why is the duty description important?
It is the basis for assessing which occupational tasks remain possible.
Personal advice
Earning capacity is often the largest asset.
We determine pension needs, term and suitable policy quality, with particular attention to health questions.
Herbert Helm MBA
Insurance broker · adviser in insurance matters · licensed financial adviser
+43 7474 23456
helm@sichermithelm.at
Insurance broker · adviser in insurance matters · licensed financial adviser
+43 7474 23456
helm@sichermithelm.at