Independent workers with kids qualify for a mother's retirement benefit - Self-employed individuals with offspring are able to gain access to maternity pensions through specific methods.
Self-employed individuals in Germany can secure a maternity pension by making voluntary contributions to the German statutory pension insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung), as they are generally not compulsorily insured in the public pension scheme.
### Requirements for Voluntary Contributions
Eligibility for voluntary contributions is extended to self-employed persons who are not compulsorily insured. To initiate voluntary insurance, they need to apply with the German Pension Insurance. Voluntary contributions are calculated based on the income the individual declares, within minimum and maximum limits set by the pension insurance.
### Payment Options for Voluntary Contributions
Contributions can be paid monthly or quarterly installments, or based on a percentage of declared income, subject to minimum and maximum monthly contributions. This flexibility allows self-employed individuals to accumulate pension entitlements, including maternity pension rights, by contributing voluntarily according to their financial capability.
### Maternity Pension Specifics
If self-employed women make voluntary pension contributions, they can accumulate pension credits for maternity periods. During maternity leave, statutory pension insurance makes special provisions to credit contributions for maternity periods if covered either through mandatory or voluntary insurance.
### Additional Notes
Maternity pay and maternity leave benefits for employees are typically covered by statutory health insurance and employer contributions. However, self-employed persons must rely on their pension and health insurance arrangements. It is worth noting that self-employed individuals usually do not pay mandatory social security contributions, including pension insurance, but they have the option to voluntarily contribute to gain entitlement to benefits like the maternity pension.
In summary, self-employed individuals in Germany must voluntarily pay into statutory pension insurance to secure maternity pension benefits, and they can choose flexible payment options based on their income. Specific rules and minimum thresholds apply, and an application process is necessary to be accepted for voluntary insurance. With three child-rearing years and two pension years, a self-employed individual can establish a pension claim.
- Self-employed individuals in Germany, apart from relying on their pension and health insurance arrangements, can find vocational training opportunities in community institutions to improve their wealth management skills, thus enhancing their financial capability to make voluntary contributions to the German pension insurance.
- Women self-employed in health-and-wellness or family-health businesses may consider availing themselves of vocational training in women's health and parenting to create a more balanced work-life integration as they voluntarily contribute to the German pension insurance for maternity pension rights.
- To ensure comprehensive coverage for family health, self-employed individuals financing their pension through voluntary contributions could investigatecollaborative arrangements with other self-employed peers, where they could share financial burdens and gain collective bargaining power in securing preferable insurance premiums.
- With time and consistent contributions, self-employed persons can build a strong foundation of personal finance through wealth management, allowing them to pursue more scientific-oriented vocational training in their chosen fields, further boosting their overall financial stability and well-being.
