To receive disability allowance, you must apply with the required documents. The disability allowance is provided to citizens through the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundations operating under the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services. To be eligible, an applicant must meet a certain disability level and demonstrate financial need. Applications can be submitted to the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation Directorates located at the applicant’s place of residence or directly to the Foundation.
Applicants who are mentally competent must apply in person. If the individual cannot apply due to their disability, a legal guardian may apply on their behalf. Parents or a legal guardian may also apply for applicants under the age of 18.
Applicants go to the institution with the necessary documents and create an application request. During this process, the institution’s income test must be completed accurately and fully. Once these steps are finished, the application is entered into the system and sent for evaluation.
Who Is Eligible for the Disability Allowance?
Disability allowance is granted to individuals who have a specified disability percentage. They may require home care and be unable to maintain daily life without assistance from others.
Those eligible for disability allowance include:
- People with a disability rate of 40% or higher
- Those who hold a 2022 disability medical report
- Individuals whose income level is less than one-third of the minimum wage per household member
- People who cannot meet basic needs independently
- Individuals who do not own substantial property or receive a high income
- People who are not working in a salaried job with social security or receiving SGK income
What Are the Conditions for Receiving Disability Allowance?
If the conditions are met, applicants can apply to the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation Directorates. Eligibility is determined by examining the disability report, financial situation, age, and other relevant factors.
Required conditions for receiving disability allowance:
- Must be a citizen of the Republic of Turkey.
- Monthly income per household member must be no more than one-third of the minimum wage.
- Must not have high income, significant property holdings, and must not be employed in a way that provides social security benefits.
- Must have a health board–approved 2022 disability report.
- The disability rate must be at least 40%.
- The disability report must be current.
- If the disabled person is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must submit the application.
- Applicants for a disability report should be under 65 years old.
- If the disability rate falls below 40% or the disability ends, the allowance will be discontinued.
- Must not be receiving income from other social assistance institutions.
- The disabled person must not be receiving alimony and must not be eligible for it.
Which Documents Are Required for the Disability Allowance Application?
Required documents for the disability allowance are reviewed, and allowances are granted to those deemed eligible. All necessary documents must be submitted accurately at the time of application. Additionally, the institution’s income test must be filled out correctly and completely.
Documents needed to apply for disability allowance:
- Disability allowance request declaration completed by the disabled person or their guardian
- Two passport-size photos of the disabled person taken within the last six months
- Copy of the disabled person’s identity card
- Health board–approved 2022 disability report showing 40% or higher
- Poverty certificate and completed income test showing financial need
- Document proving the disabled person has no income
- Property ownership documents proving no significant assets
- Copy of identity card
- Residence registration
- Copy of identity card of the disabled person’s parents or legal guardian
How Much Is the 2022 Disability Allowance?
From January 2022, the disability allowance was adjusted with the new year’s increase. The allowance amount varies according to the disability rate. The Ministry of Family and Social Policies provides this allowance to people with a disability rate of 40% and above.
Allowance amounts for 2022 are as follows:
- Those with a disability between 40% and 69% receive 842 TL per month.
- Those with a disability of 70% and above receive 1,264 TL per month.
Where Is the Disability Allowance Paid?
The disability allowance is paid into the recipient’s PTT account. The allowance is paid on a schedule, and the recipient can withdraw it at a PTT branch. Payments are scheduled according to the recipient’s birth date.
After the application is completed, applicants can check whether they are entitled to a monthly allowance using the e-Government (e-Devlet) system and then proceed to collect the funds.
How Are Disability Allowance Payments Made?
Payments are made according to the recipient’s birth date to avoid crowding at PTT branches. Disability allowances are paid regularly each month. The exact payment date is determined by the final digit of the recipient’s birth date.
Payment schedule for disability allowance:
- Recipients whose birthdate’s last digit is 0 or 5: paid on the 5th of each month
- Last digit 1 or 6: paid on the 6th
- Last digit 2 or 7: paid on the 7th
- Last digit 3 or 8: paid on the 8th
- Last digit 4 or 9: paid on the 9th
There are several steps in obtaining a disability report. You can consult relevant institutional guidance to learn more about the process for time-limited disability reports and other details about medical board procedures.
How to Check Disability Allowance Status?
You can check disability allowance status through the e-Government system. An applicant can follow these steps:
- Access the relevant e-Government service page for disability and home care payment inquiries.
- Enter e-Government login credentials in the fields provided.
- After entering the national ID number and password correctly, press “Login.”
- On the resulting page, review the disability allowance inquiry results. The applicant can see whether the application was approved and review payment details.
Why Is the Disability Allowance Stopped?
There are many reasons why a disability allowance might be stopped. If a recipient does not know the reason, they should contact the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundations for information or call the Alo 144 helpline for detailed explanations.
Common reasons for discontinuation include:
- Address change: If the recipient moves and does not update the civil registry, payments can be stopped. Address changes within the same district usually do not require notification, but moving to another district must be reported so foundation visits and assessments can continue.
- Moving to another district: After relocating, assistance from the previous district’s foundation will stop; you must reapply in the new district.
- Disability rate falling below 40%: If a new medical report shows the disability rate below 40%, payments will be discontinued. The current report’s rate is what the foundations use.
- Voluntary waiver: The recipient may choose to give up the allowance by submitting a written declaration.
- Death: Payments stop upon the recipient’s death. If payments continue without officially reporting the death and funds are withdrawn, they must be repaid with legal interest.
- Loss of need: If investigations determine the recipient no longer meets the financial need criteria, the allowance may be cancelled by the board decision.
- Employment with social security: If the disabled person begins employment covered by SSK, the allowance is automatically stopped.
Other reasons for stopping the allowance include a recipient who was under 18 turning 18, loss of Turkish citizenship, or not withdrawing payments from the account for one uninterrupted year. Attention to these matters ensures continued receipt of the allowance when eligible.
How Much Does Disability Tax Reduction Affect Net Salary?
Disability tax reduction is considered when calculating employees’ net salaries. It applies to working individuals with disabilities and reduces income tax by a rate based on disability level, thereby increasing net pay for eligible employees.
Disability tax reductions for 2022 are as follows:
- Disability rate 40%–59% (3rd degree reduction): 380 TL
- Disability rate 60%–79% (2nd degree reduction): 860 TL
- Disability rate 80% and above (1st degree reduction): 1,500 TL
What Is a Care Allowance?
Care allowance is one of the supports provided by Provincial Social Services Directorates. It is paid to cover care for disabled individuals whose families cannot meet their needs financially. Care can be provided at home or in institutions.
Part of the institutional care costs may be covered by the General Directorate of Social Services and Child Protection Agency. If a family member provides care at home, the caregiver may receive a care allowance.
This allowance can reach up to the amount of a net minimum wage, depending on the circumstances of the disabled person and their family. Applicants must follow the required procedures to benefit from care allowance or home care services provided by the state.
How to Receive Care Allowance?
The aim of the care allowance is to enable home care for the disabled. Care may be provided by family members or professional caregivers from private care centers. To apply, submit an application to the Provincial Directorates of Social Services in your province.
Those receiving 24-hour residential care at a licensed center may receive an amount up to two months’ net minimum wage. Those receiving 8-hour daytime care or cared for by family members for 24 hours a day may receive a monthly payment equal to one month’s net minimum wage.
What Are the Conditions for Disabled People to Retire?
When conditions are met, disabled individuals may be eligible for disability retirement. In addition to the disability allowance, the state offers various supports to people with disabilities. If the required criteria are fulfilled, disabled workers can apply for retirement benefits.
People with a disability rate of 40% or higher may be eligible for disability retirement (malulen emeklilik). There is no specific age requirement for these applicants. After collecting the necessary medical reports, applications can be submitted to the SGK offices in the relevant province or district.
Conditions for disability retirement include:
- A health board report showing at least 60% loss of working capacity for certain retirement cases.
- At least 1,800 days of paid premiums by the application date to SGK (equivalent to a minimum of five years of contributions) for some eligibility paths.
- The medical report must indicate at least 40% disability.