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Grundrente (basic pension top-up)

German Pension Insurance · Top-up for long insurance records

Without an applicationAutomatic check

The Grundrente (basic pension top-up) is not a separate type of pension but a top-up of earnings points added to your existing pension. It is aimed at people who were insured for a long time but earned below-average amounts. The most important practical point: you do not need to apply for anything – the pension insurance checks the entitlement ex officio.

Under § 76g SGB VI the requirement is at least 33 years (396 months) with Grundrente periods. The full top-up is available from 35 years (420 months); in between, the maximum value rises on a sliding scale. Grundrente periods include, among other things, compulsory contributions from employment, child-raising and care – but not periods of unemployment.

Income is offset against the top-up (§ 97a SGB VI). The allowance is 36.56 times the current pension value for single persons and 57.03 times for married couples. With the pension value of €42.52 applicable since 1 July 2026, that is €1,554.53 and €2,424.92 a month respectively. The check is carried out annually on 1 January using the data from the year before last.

Last updated26 August 2026
Legal basis§ 76g SGB VI · § 97a
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de and the Deutsche Rentenversicherung
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information site: We are not the German Pension Insurance, not an authority and not a paid advisory service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in simple terms; the competent body always has the final say. The amount of the top-up depends on your individual insurance history. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Minimum period33 yearsFull top-up from 35 years
CostsFree of chargeNo application required
Allowance for single persons€1,554.5336.56 × pension value, per month
ExaminationAnnually on 1 JanIncome from the year before last
Required documents

What you need

A clarified insurance account

The decisive point. Whether you reach 33 or 35 years of Grundrente periods follows solely from your insurance account. If periods are missing there – for example child-raising, care or old employment – the top-up is calculated too low or not at all. A Kontenklärung is therefore the most effective preparation.

Evidence of child-raising

Child-raising periods count as Grundrente periods. If they are not recorded in your insurance account, up to three years per child are missing – which can decide whether the 33-year threshold is reached. Submit birth certificates as part of the Kontenklärung.

Evidence of care periods

Periods of non-professional care also count as Grundrente periods, provided the long-term care insurance fund (Pflegekasse) paid contributions. Notices from the long-term care insurance fund about the contribution payment are the usual evidence.

Tax assessment notices

You do not need to submit them: the tax authorities transmit the taxable income to the pension insurance automatically. For your own checks, however, the notices are useful, because the offset is based on the income from the calendar year before last.

Pension notice (Rentenbescheid)

The pension notice states whether, and at what amount, a Grundrente top-up has been taken into account. Check the number of months credited with Grundrente periods – this reveals whether periods are missing.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Count the Grundrente periods in your insurance history

    Check your insurance history to see how many months with Grundrente periods are recorded. At least 396 months (33 years) are needed, and 420 months (35 years) for the full top-up. Periods of unemployment do not count – this is the most common reason why an apparently long insurance record still misses the threshold.

  2. 2

    Add missing periods via a Kontenklärung

    If child-raising or care periods are missing, apply for a Kontenklärung and submit the evidence afterwards. Because the 33-year threshold is often decided by just a few months, a single credited year of child-raising can make the difference between nothing and a permanent top-up.

  3. 3

    Do not submit an application – the check runs automatically

    There is no separate application for the Grundrente, and none is needed. The pension insurance automatically checks every pension to see whether a Grundrente top-up is due. Providers offering a paid "application service" are selling a service that does not exist.

  4. 4

    Wait for the income check

    The income offset is carried out annually on 1 January. It is based on the taxable income from the calendar year before last, which the tax authorities automatically report to the pension insurance in the autumn. If no data is available for that year, the previous year is used instead.

  5. 5

    Check the decision

    Check the notice for the number of months with Grundrente periods taken into account and the income amount applied. Both are the usual sources of error. You can lodge an objection against an incorrect notice within one month of notification.

Fee information

Costs and payment

No application, no costsThe check is carried out ex officio
ApplicationNot required
Checked by the DRVFree of charge
Allowance for single persons€1,554.53
Allowance for married couples€2,424.92
Offset above the allowance60 %
Full offset from€1,989.09

No costs at all arise for the Grundrente; an application is neither necessary nor provided for. What is economically decisive are the allowances under § 97a SGB VI. They are not set in the law as a euro amount, but as a multiple of the current pension value: 36.56 times (allowance) and 46.78 times (full offset) for single persons, 57.03 times and 67.27 times for married couples. Because the pension value rose to €42.52 on 1 July 2026, the thresholds have since stood at €1,554.53/€1,989.09 (single persons) and €2,424.92/€2,860.32 (married couples). Numerous overviews still list €1,491.28 and €2,326.25 – these figures are based on the pension value of €40.79 that applied until 30 June 2026 and have since been superseded.

Good to know

Important notes

No application – and no one may charge for it. The pension insurance automatically checks the Grundrente top-up with every pension. There is no application form. Offers to "apply for the Grundrente" for a fee are meaningless.

Unemployment does not count as a Grundrente period. This is the most common reason why the 33 years are narrowly missed. What counts above all are compulsory contribution periods from employment and self-employed activity, child-raising periods and periods of non-professional care.

Between 33 and 35 years, the top-up grows. At 33 years the maximum value is 0.0334 earnings points per month, at 35 years it is 0.0667. In between it rises by 0.001389 for every additional month. Two more years of insurance can therefore double the top-up.

The top-up is reduced by 12.5 per cent. The result of the calculation is multiplied by the factor 0.875. This flat-rate reduction is set out in law and is not a calculation error – it surprises many people when they look at the notice.

Only months with at least 0.025 earnings points count towards the assessment. Very minor employment therefore does not feed into the calculation of the average value. Anyone who consistently earned very little can, despite a long insurance record, receive a low top-up as a result.

The income check lags two years behind. The offset is based on the taxable income of the year before last. A drop in income therefore only takes effect with a delay – and a one-off high income can still reduce the top-up two years later.

The partner's income counts too. For married couples and registered civil partners, the combined taxable income is checked. The higher allowance only partly compensates for this; a high-earning partner can use up the top-up entirely.

The top-up can change every year. Because both the pension value and the income offset are reassessed annually, the amount paid out fluctuates. A notice changed on 1 January is therefore normal and not an error.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Waiting for an application form. There is none. Anyone who believes the Grundrente has to be applied for is waiting for something that will never come – and overlooks the only effective lever: fully clarifying your insurance account.

Accepting missing child-raising or care periods. These periods count as Grundrente periods. If they are not recorded, several years can quickly be missing. Because the 33-year threshold is often decided by just a few months, this can cost the entire top-up.

Counting unemployment. Many people add up their whole insurance record and on paper come to more than 33 years. However, periods of receiving unemployment benefit do not count towards the Grundrente periods.

Paying for "Grundrente advice". The check is automatic and free of charge, as is advice from the German Pension Insurance. Paid offers to submit an application are superfluous.

Using outdated allowances. Anyone calculating with €1,491.28 is using the figure that applied until 30 June 2026. Since the pension adjustment, the allowance for single persons has been €1,554.53 – the misjudgement works against you.

Not checking the notice. The number of months credited with Grundrente periods is stated in the notice. Anyone who does not check it against their own insurance history will not notice missing periods – and the one-month objection period runs out.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Do I have to apply for the Grundrente?

No. The German Pension Insurance expressly states that entitlement to the Grundrente top-up is checked automatically. There is no application form. You do not need to do anything – the top-up is taken into account ex officio when the pension is calculated. Offers promising to submit an application for a fee are meaningless.

How many years do I need for the Grundrente?

At least 33 years, i.e. 396 months with Grundrente periods (§ 76g SGB VI). The full top-up is available from 35 years, i.e. 420 months. Between 33 and 35 years the maximum value rises on a sliding scale: from 0.0334 earnings points at 33 years by 0.001389 for every additional month up to 0.0667 at 35 years.

Which periods count as Grundrente periods?

Above all, compulsory contribution periods from employment and self-employed activity, child-raising periods and periods of non-professional care. Periods of receiving unemployment benefit are not counted. This is the most common reason why a long insurance record still misses the 33-year threshold.

How high can my income be?

Under § 97a SGB VI, the allowance is 36.56 times the current pension value for single persons and 57.03 times for married couples and registered civil partners. With the pension value of €42.52 applicable since 1 July 2026, that is €1,554.53 and €2,424.92 a month respectively. 60 per cent of income above that is offset; from 46.78 times (€1,989.09) or 67.27 times (€2,860.32), the offset is in full.

Why do other websites quote lower allowances?

Because they calculate with the old pension value. The allowances are not set in the law as a euro amount, but as a multiple of the current pension value. Until 30 June 2026 a pension value of €40.79 applied, giving €1,491.28 for single persons. Since 1 July 2026 the pension value has been €42.52, so the allowance is €1,554.53.

Which income is used as the basis?

The taxable income from the calendar year before last. The tax authorities transmit this data automatically to the pension insurance in the autumn; the check then takes effect on 1 January of the following year. If no data is available for the relevant year, the previous year is used instead. You do not need to submit tax assessment notices.

Why is my top-up lower than expected?

There are typically three reasons. First, the calculation result is multiplied flat-rate by the factor 0.875, i.e. reduced by 12.5 per cent. Second, only months with at least 0.025 earnings points feed into the assessment. Third, income above the allowance reduces the top-up – for married couples, the partner's income too.

Can the top-up change later?

Yes. The income offset is reassessed annually on 1 January, and the pension value changes on 1 July each year. A changed notice at the turn of the year is therefore normal. If your income rises, the top-up can fall or disappear entirely; if it falls, the top-up can rise again – but only with a two-year delay.

Related official procedures

Account clarification (Kontenklärung)
Complete your Grundrente periods
Free of charge
Child-raising periods
Count as Grundrente periods
Free of charge
Old-age pension
Pension on account of old age
Free of charge

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