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Have the GdB increased (worsening application)

The only application at this authority that can also cause harm

Reduction possible§ 48 SGB XFree of charge

An application for a new determination — the so-called worsening application under § 48 SGB X (Social Code Book X, Sozialgesetzbuch Zehntes Buch) — opens the entire file, not only the deterioration being claimed. If another condition has meanwhile improved, for example after a successful operation, the individual GdB for that condition can fall and pull the overall GdB down with it. In the worst case, severe disability status is lost altogether. This is not a theoretical risk: because the overall GdB is formed from the interaction of all impairments, an improvement in one area can push the result down even where another area has got worse.

The consequences reach further than the pass. Under § 37 SGB VI (Social Code Book VI, Sozialgesetzbuch Sechstes Buch), the old-age pension for severely disabled people requires that you “are recognised as a severely disabled person at the start of the old-age pension” — severe disability status must therefore exist at the start of the pension, not at some point before it. Anyone whose GdB is reduced to 40 through a new determination also loses access to this pension, regardless of how long they were severely disabled beforehand.

That does not mean the application should not be made. It means that it is a decision, not a formality: it is worthwhile if new, documented findings show a clear deterioration — and it is risky if a successful treatment has taken place elsewhere since the last notice. Social associations advise on this before the application is submitted.

Last updated28 August 2026
Legal basis§ 48 SGB X
Verification§ 48 SGB X · § 152 Abs. 3 SGB IX · § 37 SGB VI
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not the Versorgungsamt, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. No legal advice and not an official authority. 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.
What is checkedThe entire fileNot only the deterioration
RiskGdB can fallUp to losing status from GdB 50
CostsNoneObjection and legal action too
Required documents

What you need

The application for a new determination

With the file reference number of the last notice. State precisely which impairment has deteriorated — a blanket application “for an increase” invites a complete reassessment without you gaining anything for it.

New medical findings

Current, dated and informative: hospital reports, rehabilitation discharge reports, specialist findings issued after the last notice. Without new findings, the application is not only hopeless, it opens the file for nothing in return.

A description of the changed participation

What can you no longer do today that was still possible before the last notice? Since the VersMedV reform, this comparison is the real evidence of deterioration.

An honest stock-take of improvements

Before applying, check for yourself whether anything has improved since the last notice — a successful operation, a well-controlled condition. This is exactly what the office finds during the reassessment, and it affects the overall GdB.

Advice before submitting the application

Social associations such as VdK and SoVD advise their members free of charge and assess the risk in the individual case. Where the GdB is exactly 50, this assessment is especially worthwhile, because that is where the threshold for severe disability lies.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    First check whether anything has improved

    This is the step almost no one takes, and it decides the outcome. Go through the last notice impairment by impairment and ask yourself honestly where things are better today than they were then.

  2. 2

    Gather new findings before applying

    An application without current evidence is the worst case: the file is opened, the deterioration cannot be proven, but improvements can be. It is better to wait until the findings are available.

  3. 3

    Name the deterioration specifically

    Which function, since when, with what effect on daily life. A comparison with your condition at the time of the last notice carries more weight than a description of the current condition alone.

  4. 4

    Bear in mind the consequences for pension and compensation for disadvantages

    At a GdB of 50, severe disability status depends on this — and with it protection against dismissal, additional leave and access to the old-age pension under § 37 SGB VI, which allows the pension to start at 65 without, and from 62 with, pension deductions. This pension requires that recognition still exists at the start of the pension.

  5. 5

    Lodge an objection against a reduction

    If the GdB is reduced, the same one-month deadline applies as for any other notice. If the one-month deadline has passed, the matter is not closed — there are three further routes. First: § 66 Abs. 2 SGG, applicable via § 84 Abs. 2 Satz 3 SGG. If the instructions on legal remedies (Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung) are missing or incorrect, a period of one year applies instead of one month. Second, reinstatement into the previous position (Wiedereinsetzung) under § 67 SGG, if you were prevented through no fault of your own: application within one month of the obstacle ceasing to apply, with the objection to be lodged within the same period; after one year, this route is closed. And third, independently of the above, the application for review (Überprüfungsantrag) under § 44 SGB X: a notice that has become final must be withdrawn if, when it was issued, the law was applied incorrectly or the facts were wrongly assumed.

Fee information

Costs and payment

What the application costs — and what it can cost§ 48 SGB X
Application for a new determinationFree of charge
Objection (Widerspruch)Free of charge
Legal action before the social court (Sozialgericht)Free of charge, § 183 SGG
What is checkedThe entire state of health
Possible outcomeHigher, the same or lower
If GdB 50 is lostPension access is also lost

The application costs no money, but it is not without consequences. Because § 48 SGB X requires a new determination of circumstances, the entire state of health is reassessed — including the parts that have improved. The real stake is not a fee, but what a lower notice costs in terms of compensation for disadvantages and pension access.

Good to know

Important notes

An application for a new determination — the so-called worsening application under § 48 SGB X — opens the entire file, not only the deterioration being claimed. If another condition has meanwhile improved, for example after a successful operation, the individual GdB for that condition can fall and pull the overall GdB down with it. In the worst case, severe disability status is lost altogether. This is not a theoretical risk: because the overall GdB is formed from the interaction of all impairments, an improvement in one area can push the result down even where another area has got worse.

The old-age pension for severely disabled people under § 37 SGB VI requires that recognition exists at the start of the old-age pension. A reduction before the age of 65 closes off this route, regardless of how long the severe disability existed beforehand.

Without new, dated findings, the application is the worst of all cases: the deterioration remains unproven, while improvements are established.

Name the impairment that has deteriorated specifically, instead of applying for a blanket increase. A vague application invites a complete reassessment.

Social associations advise their members free of charge before an application is submitted. Where the GdB is exactly 50, this assessment is especially worthwhile.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Submitting the application without first checking whether anything has improved. That is exactly what the office will find.

Applying without new findings. The application then opens the file with no prospect of a better outcome.

Applying for a blanket “increase” instead of naming the impairment that has deteriorated.

Overlooking the consequences for the old-age pension. § 37 SGB VI requires recognition at the start of the pension.

Accepting a reduction without objecting. The same one-month deadline applies, and both an objection and legal action are free of charge.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Can my GdB fall because of the application?

Yes, and that is not a rare side effect but the structure of the procedure. § 48 SGB X requires a new determination because of a material change in circumstances — in doing so, the entire state of health is reassessed, not only the deterioration being claimed. If another condition has improved, for example after a successful operation, the individual GdB for that condition can fall and pull the overall GdB down with it.

When is the application still worthwhile?

When new, dated findings document a clear deterioration and no material improvement has occurred elsewhere since the last notice. The more clearly the deterioration is documented, and the more stable the remaining findings, the more favourable the balance of chance and risk. Where the GdB is exactly 50, the assessment should be made with particular care.

What happens to my pension if the GdB falls?

The old-age pension for severely disabled people under § 37 SGB VI requires that you “are recognised as a severely disabled person at the start of the old-age pension”. What matters, therefore, is the point in time when the pension starts. If the GdB falls below 50 before then, this access is lost — even if you were severely disabled for twenty years. Otherwise, the pension allows a start at 65 without, and from 62 with, pension deductions, given a 35-year qualifying period.

Must I report an improvement of my own accord?

There is a duty to report changes in circumstances that are material to the determination. Independently of that, it is important for your own decision to answer the question honestly: what the office will assess anyway during a new determination is something you should know for yourself beforehand.

Does the application cost anything?

No, neither the application nor an objection, and legal action before the social court is free of charge for persons with disabilities under § 183 SGG. The stake lies not in a fee, but in the risk of coming out of the procedure with a lower GdB.

What to do if the GdB has been reduced?

Lodge an objection within one month — to preserve the deadline; the statement of grounds can follow. Check in the notice which individual GdB was reduced and on what grounds; the reduction is often based on a single finding, which can be countered with more recent documentation. If the deadline has already passed, reinstatement into the previous position under § 27 SGB X and the application for review under § 44 SGB X remain available.

Related official procedures

First GdB application
The overall GdB is not a sum
Determination from GdB 20
Objection (Widerspruch)
One month — after that, the social court
Free of charge, § 183 SGG
Compensation for disadvantages
Lump-sum allowance in ten steps, § 33b EStG
€384 to €7,400

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