Sickness benefit

• Insured employees
• Recipients of unemployment benefit
• Self-employed persons with declaration of election
• Living organ donors and inpatient accompanying persons (special regulation)

There is no entitlement for:

• Co-insured dependants
• Students
• Interns
• Citizen’s allowance recipients

The amount of sick pay is stipulated by law: It amounts to 70 percent of the gross salary, but no more than 90 percent of the net salary up to a maximum amount of 135.63 euros (2026) per day. When calculating the amount of sick pay, one-time payments (e.g. Christmas bonus) for which contributions have been paid are also taken into account. Contributions to pension, unemployment and long-term care insurance are then deducted from the sick pay. BKK W&F usually covers half of the contributions. No contributions are payable for health insurance.

If the period of generally six weeks for continued payment of wages by the employer has expired, we will automatically send the documents for calculating the sickness benefit. To avoid financial gaps, please submit your certificate of incapacity for work to us as soon as possible after your continued payment of salary has ended.

Sickness benefit calculator

Sickness benefit is always paid retroactively up to the day on which a doctor issued the certificate of incapacity for work.

A certificate of incapacity for work must be received by us within one week of being issued by the doctor. If the certificate is not received within this period, the entitlement to sickness benefit is suspended. Payment of sickness benefit is not legally possible during a period of suspension.

You are entitled to sickness benefit for the same illness for a maximum of 78 weeks within a three-year period.

• Up to 78 weeks within 3 years for the same illness.
• Entitlement is suspended, for example, if you are receiving maternity benefit, transitional allowance, short-time working allowance or during an unauthorized trip.

Voluntarily insured self-employed persons in full-time employment can secure a claim to sick pay from the seventh week of incapacity for work via the statutory sick pay at the general contribution rate if they explicitly declare this to the BKK W&F in advance and certain requirements are met. We would be happy to provide you with individual details.

• Pension from the start excludes sickness benefit.
• If the pension starts during the illness, the sickness benefit can be reduced by the pension amount.

• Your doctor’s practice transmits the AU to us digitally.
• You will receive a paper copy for your records.
• Your employer retrieves the AU data directly from us.
• Extension: No later than the next working day after the expiry of the last AU.

• During rehabilitation: Entitlement to transitional allowance if continued payment of remuneration has ended.
• Gradual reintegration possible – sick pay continues to be paid. Partial pay may be taken into account.

• In the event of incapacity for work from the day of the medical diagnosis – after expiry of the continued payment of remuneration by the employer (usually 6 weeks).
• For inpatient stays from the first day – after expiry of the continued payment of remuneration by the employer (usually 6 weeks).
• For unemployed persons: After six weeks of unemployment benefit payment by the employment agency.
• No entitlement if receiving citizen’s allowance.