The Bağ-Kur institution is one of the organizations in our country that provides social security services. Bağ-Kur maternity (childbirth) debt adjustment is one of the options available to those receiving social security through Bağ-Kur. States provide such services so citizens can live with greater security and stability. Within our social security system, citizens receive services such as healthcare coverage, doctor fees, examinations and retirement rights. These social security services are delivered by three separate institutions to different groups of people. To benefit from these services, applicants must meet the conditions set by each institution.
One of these institutions, the Pension Fund (Emekli Sandığı), provides social security for civil servants working in the public sector. Another, the Social Insurance Institution (SSK), covers people employed in various jobs within the private sector. Bağ-Kur differs from the other two: it offers social security to self-employed individuals and to those who are not employed by someone else. Tradespeople, self-employed professionals, artisans and craftsmen can enroll in Bağ-Kur by applying directly. Likewise, individuals not working for an employer may also apply to receive social security through Bağ-Kur.
Social security services in our country are managed by these three institutions and operate through premiums. Premiums are payments that must be made to the institution on behalf of the individual. With these payments, the person gains access to the social security benefits provided by the corresponding institution. For civil servants covered by the Pension Fund and for employees covered by the Social Insurance Institution, these premium payments are typically made automatically. For Bağ-Kur members, the situation is different: individuals who start social security through Bağ-Kur are responsible for paying their own premiums. Because these people are either self-employed or not employed by someone else, they must personally make the premium payments. By doing so, they gain access to all the benefits offered by the social security system. Bağ-Kur maternity debt adjustment is related to this mechanism.
In short, Bağ-Kur maternity debt adjustment is a right previously unavailable to Bağ-Kur members but introduced by later legislation so Bağ-Kur users can also benefit. The application allows individuals who were unable to work and therefore could not pay premiums due to childbirth to make lump-sum payments for those missing premium periods and thus obtain earlier retirement. Those who meet the conditions specified in the relevant law can pay the accumulated premium debt and benefit from early retirement. For Bağ-Kur members, this adjustment represents an important opportunity.
How to Benefit from Bağ-Kur Maternity Debt Adjustment
To benefit from Bağ-Kur maternity debt adjustment, applicants must meet the conditions set out in the relevant law. Previously, women insured with Bağ-Kur could not claim maternity debt adjustment. However, with Law No. 6552 that took effect on 11.09.2014, the right to make maternity debt adjustments was extended to Bağ-Kur members. With this law, women covered by Bağ-Kur gained the right to claim debt adjustment for up to three children. There are, of course, conditions to qualify. The requirements specified in the law are as follows:
- The child’s birth must have occurred after the insurance start date.
- The premiums that should have been paid during the 20-month period following the birth must not have been paid.
- The child must be alive during the period in which the debt adjustment is claimed.
Applicants who meet the conditions above must apply in person at the Social Security center where their Bağ-Kur file is held. The documents required for the application are the Bağ-Kur maternity debt adjustment request petition and a copy of the applicant’s ID. One important detail is that the maternity debt adjustment does not change the insured person’s insurance start date; it only affects the total number of premium days. Women covered by Bağ-Kur who did not pay premiums for up to 24 months after childbirth may claim 720 days per child and up to 2,160 days for three children. This effectively enables qualifying Bağ-Kur members to retire up to six years earlier than they otherwise would. Women wishing to use this childbirth-related right should apply to the nearest Bağ-Kur office, that is, the local SGK branch.