Retirement by age or disability: Which is better?

When the time comes to retire, many people are unsure about which one to apply for: retirement due to age or disability. Each one has its own benefits and specific characteristics, and the decision can directly impact your quality of life. So, to help in the process of choosing between retirement due to age or disability, we brought you some tips!

What is retirement by age?

Retirement by age is a type of retirement in which the main criterion for requesting the benefit is the worker's age. 

The value of retirement by age is calculated based on the average salary of all contributions made to the INSS throughout the worker's professional life. 

Therefore, the calculation may result in a benefit that varies between 60% and 100% of this average, depending on the contribution period. Remember that the longer the worker contributed, the higher the retirement amount will be.

Who can apply for retirement by age?

Initially, for this request, beneficiaries must meet certain age criteria, in addition to contribution time.

Currently, the minimum age to apply for this type of retirement is 65 years for men and 62 years for women, according to the rules in force after the Social Security reform. 

In addition, it is necessary to have contributed to the INSS (National Institute of Social Security) for at least 15 years, which is known as a lack of contributions.

By meeting all these requirements, you may have the chance to start the process of applying for this type of retirement. 

What is disability retirement?

Disability retirement is aimed at workers who, for health reasons, are permanently unable to perform their duties or rehabilitate themselves for another activity. 

Furthermore, the value of this type of retirement is calculated based on the average contribution salaries and corresponds to 100% of this average, which can be an advantage over retirement by age, which generally pays less.

However, the amount of the benefit may be reduced if it is found that the disability was caused by situations such as acts of recklessness or use of toxic substances.

Criteria for applying for disability retirement

Unlike retirement by age, this modality does not depend on the worker's age, but rather on their health condition, which must be proven through medical examinations carried out by the INSS.

To be entitled to disability retirement, it is necessary to have contributed to the INSS for at least 12 months, except in cases of work accidents or illnesses considered serious, such as cancer, AIDS or severe heart disease, which waive this minimum contribution period.

Retirement due to age or disability: how to apply?

If you are thinking about retiring, whether due to age or disability, it is important to know that the process can be done practically through the INSS portal.

To make things easier, we will show you a detailed step-by-step guide on how you can apply for your retirement without any complications.

• The first step is to access the My INSS portal;

• Then, simply log in with your Gov.br account or create one if you don't have one;
• After logging in, in the main menu, click on “Retirement Request”;
• Then, choose the option “Retirement by Age” or “Retirement by Disability”;
• After choosing the type of retirement, the portal will display a form that you must fill out with your personal data;
• Send the documentation as requested by the chosen retirement;
• After completing the submission, the INSS will begin analyzing your request. You can track the progress in the “Appointments/Requests” area to check the status.

Attention! If you are applying for disability retirement, the INSS will schedule a medical examination to assess your health condition;

The assessment is mandatory to confirm permanent incapacity for work. Remember that on the Meu INSS portal, you can see the date, time and place of the assessment.

Written by

Juliana Raquek