Granting of a top-up allowance to certain Czech and Slovak old-age pension beneficiaries – application handled by the Czech Social Security Administration

Main information

The top-up allowance is a benefit intended for certain beneficiaries of Czech old-age pensions who also receive a Slovak old-age pension. The Czech Social Security Administration, if it pays your pension, decides on whether to grant this allowance.

This applies to you if

You are a beneficiary of a Czech old-age pension or early retirement pension (regardless of your nationality or place of residence) and you meet the following conditions:

  1. you acquired at least 25 years of Czechoslovak insurance before 1 January 1993, for which you were awarded a Slovak old-age pension after 31 December 1992;
  2. you acquired at least 1 year of insurance under Czech law between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 1995 (this period of insurance does not include substitute insurance periods);
  3. a Czech old-age pension and Slovak old-age pension is paid to you as of the date on which you apply for the top-up allowance.

If the amount of the top-up allowance is not positive on the date you claim it, you will not be entitled to it, even if you meet the eligibility conditions set out above.

  • The top-up allowance is payable from 1 December 2013 at the earliest, even if you meet the conditions for entitlement before that date.
  • The top-up allowance does not apply to beneficiaries of disability or survivor’s pensions.

For the purpose of fulfilling the condition of acquiring 25 years of Czechoslovak insurance before 1 January 1993, account shall be taken of periods of insurance acquired prior to 31 December 1992 in countries to which the provisions of the European Union on the coordination of social security apply and in countries with which the Czech Republic has concluded a bilateral social security agreement.

When to use this service

You may file your application for the top-up allowance at any time if you receive both a Czech and Slovak pension.

The top-up allowance may be granted from 1 December 2013 at the earliest.

Vyřízení služby - elektronicky

What you need if you are using this service

To use this service, you must always file a written application clearly specifying what you are claiming, together with your birth registration number, name, surname, address or data box ID to which the decision on the case should be sent, and the datefrom which you are claiming the top-up allowance.

You may file your application:

  • in the form of your own submission on a non-prescribed form,
  • using the optional form templatetop-up allowance application pursuant to § 106a of Act No 155/1995 Coll.’

If you have previously had an application for the top-up allowance rejected solely on the grounds that the top-up allowance did not have a positive value on the date requested, you may file a new application for the top-up allowanceonly if you specify in the new application the date requested as 31 January of a calendar year after the calendar year in which the date from which you requested the top-up allowance in your previous application fell. You may submit this new application no more than twice. If your new application indicates a date other than 31 January, or if it is the third and subsequent submission of such an application, the Czech Social Security Administration will halt the proceedings on that application.

Where and how to solve this service

Step 1

Your application for the top-up allowance may be sent:

  • by data message to the data box of the Czech Social Security Administration (ID: 5ffu6xk),
  • by a data message with a recognised electronic signature to the address of the electronic filing office of the relevant social security administration under which you are registered as a resident.
  • via the ePortal of the Czech Social Security Administration.

The address of the electronic filing office and the data box ID of the Czech Social Security Administration can be found on its website.

Step 2

The Czech Social Security Administration will assess whether your meet the statutory conditions for entitlement to the top-up allowance.

  • If you meet the conditions, the Czech Social Security Administration will request that the Slovak Social Insurance Agency in Bratislava inform you of the amount of your Slovak old-age pension as of the date you apply for the top-up allowance. After receiving the necessary documents from the Slovak Social Insurance Agency, the Czech Social Security Administration will determine the amount of the top-up allowance and then issue and send you a written decision on the granting of the top-up allowance. The decision will state the date from which the allowance is granted and at what amount.
  • 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.
Step 3

If you have been granted the top-up allowance, the Czech Social Security Administration will pay it to you together with your Czech old-age pension in the same way your old-age pension has been paid up to that point.

Entitlement to the top-up allowance may not be for life. In the event that a change in the amount of the Czech old-age pension paid or the amount of the Slovak old-age pension paid converted into Czech currency does not result in the top-up allowance having a positive value, you will cease to be eligible for the top-up allowance from the instalment of the Czech old-age pension payable in April of the calendar year until the instalment of that pension payable in March of the following calendar year. If your entitlement to the top-up allowance has lapsed because the top-up allowance has not reached a positive value in three consecutive calendar years, your entitlement to the top-up allowance will cease on 31 January of the last of those calendar years.

How much will you pay

None

Vyřízení služby - osobně

What you need if you are using this service

To use this service, you must always file a written application clearly specifying what you are claiming, together with your birth registration number, name, surname, address or data box ID to which the decision on the case should be sent, and the date from which you are claiming the top-up allowance.

You may file your application:

  • in the form of a submission signed in your own hand on a non-prescribed form (sent by post),
  • using the optional form templatetop-up allowance application pursuant to § 106a of Act No 155/1995 Coll.’

If you have previously had an application for the top-up allowance rejected solely on the grounds that the top-up allowance did not have a positive value on the date requested, you may file a new application for the top-up allowance only if you specify in the new application the date requested as 31 January of a calendar year after the calendar year in which the date from which you requested the top-up allowance in your previous application fell. You may submit this new application no more than twice. If your new application indicates a date other than 31 January, or if it is the third and subsequent submission of such an application, the Czech Social Security Administration will halt the proceedings on that application.

Where and how to solve this service

Step 1

You may file your application for the top-up allowance:

  • 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 your 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;
  • by post directly to the address of the Czech Social Security Administration.

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

Step 2

The Czech Social Security Administration will assess whether your meet the statutory conditions for entitlement to the top-up allowance.

  • If you meet the conditions, the Czech Social Security Administration will request that the Slovak Social Insurance Agency in Bratislava inform you of the amount of your Slovak old-age pension as of the date you apply for the top-up allowance. After receiving the necessary documents from the Slovak Social Insurance Agency, the Czech Social Security Administration will determine the amount of the top-up allowance and then issue and send you a written decision on the granting of the top-up allowance. The decision will state the date from which the allowance is granted and at what amount.
  • 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.
Step 3

If you have been granted the top-up allowance, the Czech Social Security Administration will pay it to you together with your Czech old-age pension in the same way your old-age pension has been paid up to that point.

Entitlement to the top-up allowance may not be for life. In the event that a change in the amount of the Czech old-age pension paid or the amount of the Slovak old-age pension paid converted into Czech currency does not result in the top-up allowance having a positive value, you will cease to be eligible for the top-up allowance from the instalment of the Czech old-age pension payable in April of the calendar year until the instalment of that pension payable in March of the following calendar year. If your entitlement to the top-up allowance has lapsed because the top-up allowance has not reached a positive value in three consecutive calendar years, your entitlement to the top-up allowance will cease on 31 January of the last of those calendar years.

How much will you pay

A fee is levied for applications sent by post, in accordance with the relevant prices charged by the Czech Post or the postal institution abroad. There is no charge for applications filed in person.

Additional information

What is the benefit of this service

If you receive an old-age pension or early retirement pension and you have applied for and meet the conditions for entitlement to the top-up allowance, the allowance will start to be paid together with your Czech old-age pension from the date you requested (although no earlier than 1 December 2013) until the end of your life (with the exception of cases where the top-up allowance would not have a positive value due to a change in the amount of the Czech old-age pension paid or the amount of the Slovak old-age pension paid, converted into Czech currency).

Appeal options

None

Legislation

Sanctions

None

Frequently asked questions

None