Chapter VI: Old-age pensions and benefits
When are you entitled to old-age benefits?
Old-age Pension
Entitlement to an Old-age Pension depends on age, gender and the length of insurance period actually accrued through contributions. The qualifying conditions for entitlement to an Old-age Pension are:
age of 58 years, with 40 years (for men) or 38 years of pension qualifying period (for women). These minimum conditions for women will be applicable after a transitional period completed in 2014, or
age 63 (for men) or age 61 (for women), with 20 years of pension qualifying period, or
age 65 (for men) or age 63 (for women), with at least 15 years of insurance period.
The pension qualifying period includes credited non-contributory periods, for instance completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies, military service, training for ancillary police units, or time registered with the Employment Office. Other than these periods, the insurance period only covers periods for which contributions have been paid.
The minimum retirement age can be lowered in certain cases. For instance, it can be lowered for a certain child-raising period, or for women employed between the ages of 15 and 18. Hence, the minimum retirement age for women is 55 years and for men 58 years.
State Pension
If minimum conditions for an Old-age Pension are not met, a person might be entitled to a State Pension as a categorical social assistance benefit for persons over 65 years of age.
What is covered?
Old-age Pension
The amount of an Old-age Pension is calculated as a percentage of the pension calculation basis. The latter takes into account the 18 highest paid consecutive years since 1970. Both minimum and maximum pension calculation bases are set. The percentage depends on gender, being slightly higher for women than for men, and on the length of the pension period. For instance, for those with a pension qualifying period of 40 years (men) or 38 years (women), the Old-age Pension amounts to 72.5% of the pension calculation basis.
There is no upper percentage. In fact, insured persons are encouraged to work longer and
defer the retirement. If an insured person works longer than the full working period (40 or 38
years) or retires after reaching the full age (63 for men and 61 for women), a calculation bonus (a certain additional percentage) is awarded. Reduction (malus) is also possible, if the person retires before reaching full retirement age.
Partial Pension
If you have already qualified for an Old-age Pension, you have the right to a Partial Pension. You must not be employed (or be performing self-employed activities) for more than half of the full working time. Regardless of the reduction, a Partial Pension always equals half of the Old-age Pension to which you would have been entitled had you retired completely.
Yearly Supplement
Pensioners are entitled to a lump-sum Yearly Supplement (letni dodatek) which is granted in two different amounts depending on the amount of the pension. It is slightly higher for persons with somewhat lower pensions.
Supplementary Allowance
Recipients of a very low Old-age pension may be entitled to a Supplementary Allowance (varstveni dodatek), a kind of categorical social assistance.
How are old-age benefits accessed?
Claims must be made at the branch office of the Pension and Invalidity Insurance Institute of Slovenia in the place where you were last insured. Your right to old-age benefits when moving within Europe The EU provisions for old-age pensions exclusively concern state pension schemes and not company, occupational or private ones. They guarantee that:
In each EU country (plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) where you have been insured, your insurance record is preserved until you reach the pensionable age in that country.
Every EU country (plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) where you have been insured will have to pay an old-age pension when you reach the pensionable age. The amount you will receive from each of the Member States will depend on the length of your insurance coverage in each state. Your pension will be paid wherever you reside in the EU (plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).∗
You should submit your claim to the pension insurance institution of the EU country (or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland) in which you live, unless you have never worked there. If this is the case, you should apply to the country where you last worked.
Further information about the coordination of social security rights when moving or travelling can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/social-security-coordination.