He Guatemalan Social Security Institute (IGSS) establishes specific contribution requirements so that affiliates or their beneficiaries can access a Disability pension, old age or survival.
Understanding how many quotas demands the IGSS for each type of pension and maintaining continuity in contributions are fundamental aspects not to lose this right.
Both active and unemployed workers should consider options such as voluntary contribution for protect your future and that of your family Before any eventuality.
Minimum requirements and quotas
According to article 4 of Chapter II of the IGSS Agreement, an affiliate can request a Disability pension If it meets certain conditions, depending on the type of disability.
- Disability caused by illness during active affiliation:
The affiliate must have quoted a minimum of 36 months To the system, including the month in which the event that generated disability occurred.
- Disability for other causes:
In this case, quota and age requirements are applied:
- If the affiliate has less than 45 yearsmust have at least 60 months of contribution in the 9 years immediately previous On the first day of disability.
- If you have between 45 and less than 55 yearsyou need to have contributed 120 months in the 12 previous years At the beginning of disability.
The Declaration of disability It is carried out only by the IGSS, after official medical exams confirming a Total and permanent disability.
Quotas necessary to request a pension for survival
In accordance with article 22 of the IGSS Regulation, so that the beneficiaries of a deceased affiliate can request one Survival pensionthe latter must have accredited at least 36 months of contribution in the 6 years prior to his death.
This applies to husbands (AS), minor children, children with disabilities or parents economically dependent on the deceased affiliate.
What does “contributions within the previous years” mean?
Claudia Sentes, head of the Disability, Old Age and Survival (IVS) program of the IGSS, explains that when talking about fees “within the previous years”, it means that contributions must have been made in a way Continuous and No interruptions in the required period.
For example, if it is required to have contributed 36 installments in the last 6 years, that implies that the affiliate had to contribute, at least, during 36 consecutive months Within that period. Laps are not accepted without quotes.
“Although an affiliate has more accumulated quotas, if they did not contribute them continuously within the stipulated time, it does not qualify for the pension,” says setes.
How many quotas are needed for old age pension?
Agreement 1492 of the IGSS, which modifies article 15 of Agreement 1124, establishes that affiliates are entitled to the old age pension If they meet two conditions:
- Reach the minimum age required (60 years for men and women).
- Have made a minimum number of monthly contributions to the IGSS, according to the following table:
| Period | Required contributions |
| Until December 31, 2010 | 180 |
| From January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012 | 192 |
| From January 1 to May 31, 2013 | 204 |
| From June 1 to December 31, 2013 | 216 |
| From January 1 to May 31, 2014 | 228 |
| As of June 1, 2014 | 240 installments |
These quotas can be cumulative throughout working life of the affiliate, unlike the requirements for disability or survival pensions, which are stricter with respect to the period in which they must have been contributed.
How to keep covered to access any pension?
Sentes warns that a frequent cause of rejection in disability or survival pension requests is Interruption in contributions.
This usually happens when the affiliate loses its job And it takes to find a new one, interrupting its monthly contributions.
To avoid this, the IGSS allows the option of voluntary affiliation. During periods without employment, the worker can register as voluntary taxpayerwhich allows you to continue accumulating quotas.
“Although the voluntary contribution Does not include medical coverage, does guarantee economic protection in case of death or disability of the affiliate, ”says Sentes.