Before receiving the first pension payment

Before your first retirement payments hit your account, there’s more to do than you might think: service periods need to be verified, applications reviewed, and benefit amounts calculated. Stay on top of things and start this new chapter of your life with greater peace of mind.

Before receiving the first pension payment

Here is a brief overview of what happens before you start receiving your pension. The timeline highlights key milestones on the path to retirement.

Pension payments: When and how?

Pension benefits are paid at the beginning of the month for the current month. The actual date the payment is credited to your account depends on the recipient bank and may vary. Sächsische Ärzteversorgung has no influence over this. Payments of pension benefits to foreign countries may take longer to process.

The pension payment statement serves as proof of the pension benefits paid within a calendar year and is sent to all beneficiaries by the end of March of the following year at the latest.

Note: In accordance with legal requirements, the same statement regarding the pension benefits paid is sent electronically to the Central Allowance Office for Retirement Assets (ZfA). The Central Allowance Office for Retirement Assets manages various reporting procedures for the tax authorities and thereby supports the digitization of tax offices.

Frequently Asked Questions About Retirement Benefits

Are there any dynamic features?

At its meeting last year, the Extended General Assembly decided to index-link pension benefits by 4.5% with effect from 1 January 2026. Index-linking was also implemented the year before. Further developments can only be announced after the next Extended General Assembly in June 2026. You will then be able to find this news directly on our homepage under ‘Latest News’.

By when must the application for the statutory old-age pension be received at the latest?

The application for the statutory old-age pension must be submitted no later than three months after reaching the standard retirement age. For example, if you reach the standard retirement age on 10 February 2026, you may submit your application by 9 May 2026 in order to receive the compulsory old-age pension retroactively from 1 March 2026.

Can I continue to make contributions after reaching the standard retirement age?

Nein, mit Erreichen der Regelaltersgrenze oder mit Gewährung des vorgezogenen Altersruhegeldes endet Ihre Beitragspflicht zur Sächsischen Ärzteversorgung. Eine Einzahlung ist dann nicht mehr nötig und möglich. Eine nachträgliche Erhöhung der Versorgung durch weitere Einzahlungen sieht unsere Satzung nicht vor.

Can I continue working whilst receiving my old-age pension? Are there limits on additional income?

Any work you undertake – whether in the medical or veterinary field or in another profession – will no longer affect your retirement pension once you start receiving it. Furthermore, there are no limits on additional income under the Sächsische Ärzteversorgung. The situation is different under the German Pension Insurance Scheme; please contact your relevant pension provider for further information.

See also: Retirement & continuing to work

Is there such a thing as a partial pension?

The Articles of Association do not provide for a partial pension. In the past, the board members have already considered this issue in detail and concluded that there is currently no need to introduce a partial pension.
Alternatively, the Saxon Medical Pension Fund offers the option of claiming an early retirement pension from the age of 62, with a monthly reduction of 0.4% for each month taken early, whilst continuing to work. Upon claiming the early retirement pension, the obligation to pay contributions (pension insurance contributions) ceases, and any income will not be taken into account when calculating your pension with the Saxon Medical Pension Fund.

Welche Regelaltersgrenze gilt in der Sächsischen Ärzteversorgung für den Ruhegeldbezug?

For members born in 1950 or later, the current standard retirement age of 65 will be raised in stages. The increase will take place in two-month increments, depending on the year of birth: members born in 1950 will therefore receive their standard old-age pension at the age of 65 years and two months, whilst for those born in 1951 it will be 65 years and four months. The maximum standard retirement age of 67 will then apply to all those born from 1961 onwards. 

What reductions can I expect in my early retirement pension?

If the early retirement pension is claimed, the pension is reduced by 0.4% for each full calendar month during which the pension is received prior to the first day of the month following the month in which the standard retirement age is reached. This reduction continues to apply once the standard retirement age is reached.

What types of retirement pension does the Saxon Medical Pension Fund offer?

Members generally have a choice of three different schemes.

1. Mandatory old-age pension. Under the ‘standard’ option, the old-age pension is paid from the standard retirement age. 
2. Early retirement pension. From the age of 62, SÄV members can apply for an early retirement pension – the start date can be chosen individually, between the age of 62 and the standard retirement age. 
3. Deferred retirement pension. Those who wish to remain in employment for longer may, upon application, defer receipt of their pension until they reach the age of 70 at the latest.

Why does the payment of a pension from SÄV start later than from DRV?

In 2008, the Extended General Assembly of the Saxon Medical Pension Fund decided to gradually raise the standard retirement age to 67. The basis for raising the standard retirement age was the actuarial report, which reviews the calculation basis for benefit entitlement on an annual basis. This took into account future demographic trends among SÄV members in relation to existing and future benefit obligations.
Notwithstanding the provisions of statutory and private pension insurance, the Saxon Medical Pension Fund, as a solidarity-based community, is independently responsible for its financial development and thus for ensuring the fulfilment of its pension provision mandate. The increase in the standard retirement age does not therefore coincide with the increase in the German Pension Insurance scheme, as the increase there is based on a different legal framework.
For members born between 1957 and 1963 who, in addition to pension entitlements with the pension scheme, also have entitlements with the German Pension Insurance scheme, this results in different retirement dates.

Will claiming the pension later affect the amount of the retirement pension?

The old-age pension increases by 0.6 per cent for each full calendar month between the standard retirement age and the date on which the old-age pension is granted. The deferred old-age pension must be claimed no later than the first day of the month following the month in which the person reaches the age of 70. The application must be received by the Saxon Medical Pension Fund before the desired start date of the pension.