Suspension of the payment of old-age pensions on request - handled by the Czech Social Security Administration

Main information

The Czech Social Security Administration, as the pension payer, may suspend the payment of old-age pension on the basis of a request by the recipient of the pension, which it will do from the next possible instalment after the receipt of such a request. It is possible to waive the payment of old-age pension at the earliest from the date of delivery of the request to suspend payment of this pension to the pension payer, or from the date on which the postal item (addressed to the Czech Social Security Administration) containing such a request was submitted.

You usually apply to stop receiving your old-age pension in order to have it increased in the future because you are working as an earner. However, the Czech Social Security Administration does not investigate your reasons for requesting the pension to be suspended and you are not obliged to state or prove them. For this purpose, you can use the form available on the Czech Social Security Administration's ePortal Application for suspending/releasing/adjusting your old-age pension (cssz.cz).

The Czech Social Security Administration will suspend the pension payment on the basis of the application you have submitted (or it will decide on the overpayment of the benefit paid for the period from the date you submitted the application by which you waived the pension payment until the date of the actual suspension of the pension payment).

The right to payment of the pension will definitively cease on the expiry of five years from the date for which it is due.

If you are engaged in gainful activity during the period when the old-age pension is stopped, the percentage of the old-age pension is increased by 1.5% of the calculation base for every 90 days of gainful activity carried out after you became entitled to the pension without receiving it.

If you are an early retirement pensioner, you can apply to suspend your pension for future increases for other gainful activity after you reach retirement age if you are engaged in gainful activity that triggers pension insurance.

If you carry out such gainful activity before reaching retirement age, the cessation of payment of early retirement pension does not depend on your will, since under the law, payment of early retirement pension in conjunction with gainful activity is not due until you reach retirement age. In such a case, you are obliged to report to the Czech Social Security Administration the commencement of your gainful activity, which will result in your pension being suspended or you will be ordered to pay the overpayment for the period for which the benefit has already been paid in parallel with your gainful activity. If your pension was suspended when you were under retirement age, the Czech Social Security Administration will not automatically release it from the date you reach retirement age. If you are interested in this release, you must apply to the Czech Social Security Administration.

You must apply in writing to the Czech Social Security Administration for the subsequent release of the suspended payment of the old-age pension and for an increase in the pension for gainful activity carried out after becoming entitled to this pension without receiving it (for more information, see the service ‘Adjustment of the amount of the old-age pension for the period of gainful activity carried out after becoming entitled to this pension without receiving it or receiving an invalidity pension for third-degree disability - the application is handled by the Czech Social Security Administration’).

This applies to you if

You are a recipient of a regular old-age pension paid by the Czech Social Security Administration. 

You are an early retirement pensioner.

When to use this service

You can ask for your old-age pension to be suspended at any time after you become entitled to it (for early retirement pensions, after you reach retirement age). However, you cannot waive the payment for the time before the pension payer receives such a request or before the postal item (addressed to the Czech Social Security Administration) containing such a request. If the purpose of waiving your retirement pension is to receive a future increase, you must work at least 90 daysto qualify for the increase. If your employment ends before this period and you do not plan to continue working, there is no financial effect on you if you stop paying your pension and you can claim back the pension.

Service settlement

What you need if you are using this service

You must make your request to suspend the payment of your old-age pension in writing , clearly specifying what you are asking for and stating your birth number, name, surname, the address (to which the decision on the matter should be sent) and the datefrom which you want the payment of the old-age pension to stop (note: this cannot be a date earlier than the date of the request).

You may file your application:

• via the form Application for suspension/release/adjustment of old-age pension,
• in the form of a submission signed in your own hand in a non-prescribed form.

Where and how to solve this service

Step 1

You can apply to suspend payment of your old-age pension:

• in person with the district social security administration, in Prague with the Prague Social Security Administration and in Brno with the Municipal Social Security Administration competent according to the place of residence. The competent social security administration will then immediately forward the application to the Czech Social Security Administration, which is competent to decide on it; The application may be granted at the earliest from the date it is received by the Czech Social Security Administration.
• in person via the client centre of the Czech Social Security Administration headquarters.
• by post directly to the address of the Czech Social Security Administration. The request may be granted at the earliest from the date on which the postal item (addressed to the Czech Social Security Administration) containing such a request was submitted.

Contact details can be found on the Czech Social Security Administration website.

Step 2

The Czech Social Security Administration will assess whether the conditions for suspending payment of the old-age pension are met.

• If you meet the conditions, the Czech Social Security Administration will issue a written decision to suspend payment of your pension.
• If you do not meet the conditions, you will receive a written decision from the Czech Social Security Administration rejecting your application, stating the reasons for the rejection.

A request to suspend payment of an old-age pension may be granted at the earliest from the date of its delivery to the Czech Social Security Administration (not from the date of delivery to the District Social Security Administration/Prague Social Security Administration/Municipal Social Security Administration in Brno) or from the date of submission of the postal item (addressed to the Czech Social Security Administration) containing the request.

Step 3

If your request is granted, payment of your old-age pension will be suspended, depending on the technological possibilities of the Czech Social Security Administration, from the next possible payment. The amount paid on the pension from the date from which you request that the payment of the old-age pension be suspended (at the earliest from the date of delivery of the request to the Czech Social Security Administration or from the date of submission of the postal item addressed to the Czech Social Security Administration containing such a request) until the day before the date of the actual suspension of payment will be reported to you as an overpayment, which you will be obliged to return.

Additional information

What is the benefit of this service

The Czech Social Security Administration will stop paying your pension if you request it. If you were gainfully employed during the period for which the pension was not paid, you are entitled to an increase of 1.5% of the calculation base for every 90 days of gainful activity.

Appeal options

Not specified.