Artists’ Social Insurance Fund and social security

Social security for artists

Comprehensive measures

The Artists’ Social Insurance Fund covers risks of illness, nursing care and old age, but not work accidents, disability or the foreseeable pension gap.

  • For insurance against work accidents, self-employed persons may join a trade association. The trade association for artists, lecturers and publishers is the German Administrative Employers' Liability Insurance Association [Verwaltungsberufsgenossenschaft (VBG)] which will cover the costs of treatment for work and commuting accidents and for occupational illnesses. It also provides injury benefits until sick pay can be received and a pension in case of injury and to surviving dependents. Annual contributions depend on your coverage and risk classification, i.e., work.
  • Retirement requires private investment, e.g. in form of additional private pension insurance, life insurance, real estate, stocks, etc. Only you can decide how to go about this.
  • Disability can also only be insured privately and is not covered by pension insurance. Contributions and pension insurance claims depend on the product. It is important to get such insurance at a young age when rates are significantly less expensive.

Questions and answers:

  • Only if based on Unemployment Benefit I [Arbeitslosengeld (ALG) II] and only during the first 2 months. Those who have this option should consider it. Unemployment insurance is also interesting to self-employed persons because its benefits depend on professional qualifications (e.g. a university degree), not on contributions paid.

    Only if based on Unemployment Benefit I [Arbeitslosengeld (ALG) II] and only during the first 2 months. Those who have this option should consider it. Unemployment insurance is also interesting to self-employed persons because its benefits depend on professional qualifications (e.g. a university degree), not on contributions paid.