Disability retirement or invalidity retirement?

Disability retirement or invalidity retirement?
"Disability retirement means having a congenital illness. It is related to an illness that occurred before your first insured date."

Should I apply for disability retirement or invalidity retirement?

Social Security Expert Melis Elmen provided information about the two most frequently asked and confused retirement types:

*"Disability retirement means having a congenital illness. It is related to an illness that occurred before your first insured date.

Invalidity retirement, on the other hand, concerns an illness that developed after your first employment date.

10 YEARS AND 1,800 PREMIUM DAYS REQUIRED

To qualify for invalidity retirement, you must have at least 10 years of service after your first employment date. Even if premiums are not paid, 10 years must have passed, and at least 1,800 premium days are required.

If you meet these two criteria, you must undergo a medical assessment, which will be conducted in a fully equipped state hospital directed by the Social Security Institution. The evaluation must result in a disability rate of at least 60%. If this rate is confirmed alongside the other two requirements, you can qualify for invalidity retirement.

YOU MUST QUIT YOUR JOB, BUT IF YOU CAN'T...

To apply for invalidity retirement, you must leave your job, similar to regular retirement. However, if resigning is not an option, you can request a Disability Assessment at the Social Security Institution. The institution will direct you to a fully equipped state hospital, where your disability percentage and validity period will be determined. This assessment will guide your application process.

Invalidity retirement percentages vary depending on the illness, and the final decision is made by the High Health Council of the Social Security Institution. For example, organ transplants, kidney failure, bone marrow transplants, cancer, and even sleep apnea are considered illnesses, but the committee decides the percentage. Once the report is sent to the Ankara Health Committee and approved, it becomes valid.
Even if an illness is listed in the law, this does not guarantee an automatic 60% disability rating.

IF YOUR RATE IS TOO LOW, APPLY FOR DISABILITY RETIREMENT

If your disability percentage is below 60%, such as 50%, your invalidity retirement application will be rejected, and you should consider disability retirement instead. Disability retirement requires a minimum disability percentage of 40% to 59%. The required premium days and service years depend on your employment start date.

The main difference between invalidity and disability retirement is that disability retirement requires a longer service period and more premium days. The minimum is 15 years and 3,600 premium days, but it can increase to 4,800 days and up to 20-22 years of service.

Since invalidity retirement has a lower service requirement, it is recommended to apply for invalidity retirement first. However, if you are confident that you can obtain a disability report and your required premium days are complete, then applying for disability retirement is a viable option."