4. Does the National Pension Insurance program offer protection to the physically/mentally disabled people? If yes, what are the requirements to be met? How long can one receive the benefit?
For insured persons suffering from physical/mental disabilities at a severe or extremely severe level, the National Pension Insurance program offers the “Disability Pension Payment” and “Disability Basic Guaranteed Pension Payment”:
- Individuals who suffer from injuries or diseases during the “Period of Participating in the National Pension Insurance” and is holding the disability manual or proof at a severe/extremely severe level shall be eligible for the “Disability Pension Payment,” subject to that they have been evaluated and diagnosed by physicians as “incapable of work”. The payment will be continued until the month when the individual has died or is disqualified for the payment. If the individual choose to claim another pension payment when receiving the Disability Pension Payment, the latter shall be discontinued from the month when the individual start receiving the other pension payment.
- An individual shall be entitled to the “Disability Basic Guaranteed Pension Payment” if the individual has already suffered from physical/mental disability at a level of severe or extremely severe and has held the relevant disability manuals or proof “before participating in the National Pension Insurance program”, subject to that he/she has been evaluated and diagnosed by physicians as “incapable of work” and is not subject to the restrictions set forth by the government. The payment shall be continued until the month when the individual loses one’s eligibility or when the individual has died. If the individual choose to claim for other pension payment when receiving the Disability Basic Guaranteed Pension Payment, the latter shall be discontinued from the month when the individual start receiving the other pension payment. The aforementioned evaluation is not required, however, if the individual’s disability category/grade has met the criteria specified in the “National Pension Insurance Program – Category and Grading Table for the Mentally/Physically Disabled Who Are Considered Incapable of Working and Qualified for the Disability (Basic Guaranteed) Pension under the National Pension Insurance Program.”