Bağ-Kur is one of the social insurance branches in our country. Under Bağ-Kur, citizens earn the right to retirement by paying their contributions and also benefit from subsidized services such as healthcare. However, some people are unable to pay their Bağ-Kur contributions. In this article we examine what those who cannot pay their Bağ-Kur contributions should do.
With changing times and rising costs, life has become more difficult. Insured persons who must pay contributions also face increasing difficulty meeting payments. As is known, Bağ-Kur contribution amounts are tied to the minimum wage. With the continuous rise in the minimum wage, Bağ-Kur contributions have increased, and the number of people unable to afford those contributions has grown. When Bağ-Kur contributors cannot pay, they lose access to healthcare services. This affects not only the insured person but also those they are responsible for supporting; dependents also lose access to health services.
In such circumstances, the situation of not being able to pay Bağ-Kur contributions arises. According to Law No. 5510, people with income below a certain level are not required to pay Bağ-Kur contributions.
Those who cannot pay Bağ-Kur contributions must meet certain conditions to benefit from this exemption. Under Law No. 5510, if the annual income from an activity, after deducting expenses related to that activity, yields a monthly average that is less than 30 times the daily earnings lower limit used for premium calculation, the person may terminate their insurance coverage. The document required for this is called the “Sigortalılık Muafiyet Belgesi” (Insurance Exemption Certificate).
Agricultural Bağ-Kur contributors must obtain and complete this certificate from the Chamber of Agriculture to which they are affiliated. Afterwards, the completed certificate must be submitted to the Social Security Institution.
Once the certificate is issued, an application must be made to the Social Security Center within 10 days. If Bağ-Kur contributors do not apply within 10 days, their insurance coverage is suspended from the date they later apply. After that, the person is considered exempt from paying Bağ-Kur contributions.
Agricultural Bağ-Kur Contributors Aged 65 and Over
The state also provides relief for the elderly. Those who are compulsorily registered with Bağ-Kur due to their registration with the Chamber of Agriculture or with provincial and district directorates of agriculture and who are over 65 years old are not required to pay Bağ-Kur contributions. To stop their Bağ-Kur payments, these people must submit a petition to the Social Security Center where their Bağ-Kur registration is kept.
Having Contribution Debt
People insured under Bağ-Kur face restrictions if they have outstanding contribution debts. If a Bağ-Kur insured person has contributions and related debts exceeding 60 days, they are not eligible to receive healthcare services. This causes significant hardship for affected citizens.
Freezing Bağ-Kur Insurance Periods
In some cases, Bağ-Kur contributors cannot benefit from health rights or do not have enough paid contributions to qualify for retirement because of outstanding debts. Those whose insurance periods have been frozen due to debts may later reactivate those periods when their situation allows.
Paying accumulating debts that include delay penalties and interest can be difficult for Bağ-Kur contributors. In such cases, the freeze procedure described above can be applied. If these individuals later request to resume coverage, they can make payments based on the minimum wage without interest. Additionally, the Bağ-Kur insured person must pay the full amount of debts calculated by the Social Security Institution within three months. If the full debt is not paid within this period, any amount already paid will be refunded and the freeze period will be reinstated.