Retraining due to occupational disease

You suffer from an occupational disease and no longer want or can no longer work in your profession? If you are able to work, accident insurance may finance retraining in another profession.

Hint: Other benefits from the statutory accident insurance (e.g. treatment costs, rehabilitation measures) are also possible. The primary objective of the measures is reintegration into working life.

Retraining usually takes place in vocational training centres. You will receive a transitional allowance for the duration of the retraining. If you meet the requirements, you can also receive a pension.

Depending on which profession you are retraining in, the retraining can take different lengths of time.

To the institutions of the statutory accident insurance. These are:

• the trade and agricultural employers' liability insurance associations, and
• the accident insurance institutions of the public sector

The contact person for vocational rehabilitation in the event of occupational diseases is the professional assistant. Professional helpers, also known as rehabilitation managers, are medically and professionally trained employees of the statutory accident insurance institutions who try to find the best rehabilitation measures for each individual and support you in your return to work.

Ask your professional assistant or rehab manager which documents you need.

Prerequisites are:

• Your illness has been diagnosed as an occupational disease*.
• The illness threatens to make you unable to work if you continue to practice your profession.

Contact your professional assistant/rehabilitation manager at your accident insurance institution. They will inform you about the further procedure.

You can also assess,

• how big your chances of retraining are and
• whether other rehabilitation measures would be more useful in your case.

The vocational assistants / rehabilitation managers develop a rehabilitation plan depending on the individual case. If the accident insurance institution approves your retraining, they negotiate the details with the vocational training centres and other institutions suitable for retraining.

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The costs for the courses and for accommodation in a vocational training centre will be reimbursed.