Yes. German disability insurance (BU) does pay retroactively from the end of the month in which the disability began, even if the review takes over half a year. You must report within the deadline in your contract, often three years. If you report later and it is your fault, you get money only from the month you reported.
What arrives at once when a claim is accepted retroactively, and how long it takes.
Example
Typical range
Average length of review
about 190 days, acceptances 179, rejections 197
Back payment at EUR 1,500 a month and seven months of review
about EUR 10,500 plus refunded premiums
Share of decisions in favour of the insured
almost 80 percent
First consultation with a lawyer, consumer
at most EUR 190
As of October 2026.
Review time and rate from a market study of cases decided in 2023,
rules from the industry's model terms of July 2025.
That many contracts have a three year reporting deadline and defer premiums on request is an
indicative value from our quoting practice; we are happy to check your contract with you.
Worked example
Painter, shoulder injury in May, reported in July
The orthopaedist confirms he has been unable to work overhead since May. The review runs until February.
Disability began
May
Entitlement from
June
Back payment June to February, 9 × EUR 1,200
EUR 10,800
Refunded premiums June to February, 9 × EUR 110
EUR 990
On acceptance in February he receives about EUR 11,800 at once, then the monthly pension.
From when payments are backdated
Under the industry's model terms, the right to the pension and the premium waiver arises at the end of the month in which the disability began. If it began in March, the BU pays from April, even if the decision only comes in autumn.
The onset is set by your doctors, not by the date of your claim. So have the start and course of your restrictions documented precisely. With long sick leave, its start often counts if your contract treats a long restriction as disability.
The reporting deadline and late reports
Every contract names a deadline for reporting disability if you want full backdating. Three years is common. If you report later, your entitlement starts only at the beginning of the month in which your report arrives.
This limit does not apply if the delay was not your fault, for example because the illness kept you from acting. You then have to prove that. It is easier to report early, even if not everything is clear yet.
Report
What is paid
within the contract deadline
pension backdated to the end of the month of onset
after the deadline, not your fault
also backdated, proof needed
after the deadline, your fault
pension only from the reporting month
premiums during the review
refunded on acceptance
Premiums during the review
Until the decision you keep paying premiums. The model terms provide that the insurer refunds them once it accepts the claim. Many tariffs defer premiums on request until the decision.
Do not simply stop paying. After a reminder with a deadline, the insurer may cancel for non payment, which creates needless disputes about whether and how long you were covered. A short request for deferral costs nothing.
Limitation periods: how long you have
Claims under an insurance contract fall under the regular limitation period of three years (section 195 BGB). Once you have filed the claim, the period is paused until the insurer's decision reaches you in text form (section 15 VVG).
So even after a rejection there is time to object or go to court. If you are claiming years of back payments, get advice from a lawyer specialising in insurance law (Fachanwalt für Versicherungsrecht) in good time.
When backdating does not help
Only disability that began while you were insured is paid. If the policy was cancelled or had expired before the onset, no deadline helps.
And backdating never reaches before the policy started: a condition that existed at signing and was not disclosed can bring down the whole contract.
Step by step
Have your doctor record the date your restrictions began.
Report the disability in text form, even if findings are still missing.
Note the reporting deadline from your terms.
Keep paying premiums or request a deferral.
Keep the confirmation that your report arrived.
Checklist
Contract reporting deadline known
Onset of disability dated by a doctor
Report sent in text form and confirmed
Premium payments secured
Any rejection requested in text form
Common mistakes
Waiting until all findings are complete and missing the deadline
Stopping premiums during the review
Cancelling the policy before the disability began
Confusing the date of the claim with the onset of disability
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
From when does the BU pay once it accepts?
From the end of the month in which the disability began,
if you reported within your contract's deadline.
What if I report only years later?
After the deadline you get money only from the reporting month,
unless the delay was not your fault.
Are premiums from the review period refunded?
Yes, the model terms provide for that on acceptance.
Does the BU pay interest on the back payment?
Payment falls due once the review is complete (section 14 VVG).
If the insurer delays after that, default interest may apply.
Can I get BU payments for a time before the policy started?
No.
Only disability that began after the insurance started is covered (section 172 VVG).
Does my claim become time barred during the review?
No, the limitation period is paused until the insurer's decision reaches you in text form.
