It is a single line in your Versicherungsschein (insurance policy document), and hardly anyone has ever read it. It is called Endalter, the age at which the contract ends, and it usually sits right next to the agreed monthly benefit. If it says 67, the matter is settled. If it says 60 or 63, then in a worst case you face years in which the benefit from your Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung (occupational disability insurance, BU) has already run out and the statutory pension has not yet begun.
The short answer. The Endalter is the line in the BU contract that sets the latest point up to which the benefit is paid. If it says 60 but your Regelaltersgrenze (statutory retirement age) is 67, you are missing 84 months of BU benefit in a claim. Anyone born in 1964 or later reaches the Regelaltersgrenze at 67 under § 35 SGB VI (legal position as of August 2026).
The line is called Endalter, and it is in your Versicherungsschein
You do not calculate a BU Endalter. It is simply there. The Endalter sets how long the contract runs and how long the benefit is paid in a claim. In many contracts the Versicherungsdauer (policy term) and the Leistungsdauer (benefit period) are the same. But there are contracts in which the two come apart: the contribution runs until 67, the benefit is paid only until 60. Both figures are in the Versicherungsschein, and both need checking.
What to look for in your contract:
- the line Endalter or Versicherungsdauer in your Versicherungsschein
- next to it the Leistungsdauer, which can differ from it
- the agreed monthly BU benefit
- whether the terms contain an extension option or a Nachversicherungsgarantie (the right to increase cover without new health questions)
- your year of birth, because it determines your Regelaltersgrenze
84 months in which this contract pays nothing
A model case, deliberately constructed: a master craftsman born in 1975 runs a business with twelve employees. His BU contract ends at 60, with an agreed benefit of 2.500 euros a month. At 55 he becomes occupationally disabled and the insurer pays. Five years later, in 2035, the contract ends as scheduled. He reaches his Regelaltersgrenze in 2042. Between the two lie seven years, or 84 months. At 2.500 euros a month that is 210.000 euros missing in this case, in nominal terms and before tax.
He probably cannot fall back on the Erwerbsminderungsrente (reduced earning capacity pension) during that time. It requires, under § 43 SGB VI, among other things, three years of compulsory contributions within the last five years. Many self-employed people do not meet that, and anyone who, as managing director of their own GmbH, pays nothing into the pension scheme usually does not either. Whether you meet it is shown by your Renteninformation (annual pension statement) or by the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, which advises on this free of charge.
One point belongs kept apart: the BU benefit replaces income, it is not a pension contribution. So your pension entitlement stops growing from the day the occupational disability begins, not only from the Endalter. In the model case that is twelve years, not seven. That is a second problem in its own right.
Whether this affects you is decided by one line in your contract. Bring your Versicherungsschein to the initial consultation and we will look at it together.
A later Endalter is not automatically the right choice. It costs contribution, and noticeably so. Anyone with existing health problems today may not get an extension at all, because that usually means a fresh health assessment. And sometimes 65 is the more honest decision than 67, because otherwise the contribution cannot be sustained over decades. That is exactly why this line belongs in a conversation and should not simply be raised across the board.
What comes on top when you run a business
When an owner drops out, the business does not stop overnight. The team keeps going out and works through the order book. What stops is what only the boss does: costing, writing quotes, pushing through variations. After a few months the backlog is done, nothing new comes in, and the wages keep running. The BU benefit is personal income and is not meant for that. So anyone who runs a business answers two questions separately: what does the family live on, and what happens to the running costs of the business?
And if you are an employee? Then as a rule you have the compulsory contributions from § 43 SGB VI, so the Erwerbsminderungsrente is open to you in principle. But it falls far short of replacing your salary, and what stops at the same time only becomes noticeable later: the payments into your occupational pension (bAV).
Frequently asked questions about occupational disability and the Endalter
What does Endalter mean in occupational disability insurance?
The Endalter is the age up to which the contract runs and up to which the benefit is paid at the longest in a claim. It is stated in the Versicherungsschein, often labeled Versicherungsdauer. After that the payment ends, even if the occupational disability continues.
How long should the BU run?
Your own Regelaltersgrenze is the guide, because only then does the statutory pension start. For all birth years from 1964 onwards it is 67. Whether 67 is affordable in an individual case depends on the contribution and on the rest of your retirement provision.
Can I extend the Endalter of my BU later on?
Some contracts include an extension option or a Nachversicherungsgarantie that allows this without new health questions. If the terms contain nothing of the kind, a new health assessment is usually required. So it is worth looking into the terms before you consider a new contract.
What is the difference between Versicherungsdauer and Leistungsdauer?
The Versicherungsdauer says how long the contract exists and contributions are due. The Leistungsdauer says how long the benefit is paid in a claim. Usually both are the same; some contracts let the Leistungsdauer end earlier. Then the shorter of the two figures counts.
How the years from 67 onwards can be built up is covered in the article on retirement planning for the self-employed. How large your overall provision gap in retirement turns out to be is worked out by the pension gap calculator in two minutes. What a drop-out means for the business is covered on covering risks for entrepreneurs.
What counts are the terms of your own contract. The amounts come from a constructed model case and are not a commitment.
Eduard Strekert is a financial advisor for Deutsche Vermögensberatung AG (DVAG). This article is general information and does not replace personal advice. It does not constitute investment or tax advice.