{"id":4834,"date":"2026-06-01T13:24:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T13:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arbeidsjurist-eindhoven.nl\/kennisbank\/transitievergoeding-ontslag-na-aow-leeftijd\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T13:24:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T13:24:57","slug":"redundancy-pay-after-reaching-state-pension-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arbeidsjurist-eindhoven.nl\/en\/kennisbank\/transitievergoeding-ontslag-na-aow-leeftijd\/","title":{"rendered":"Redundancy Pay in 2026 When Dismissed After State Pension Age Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Werken na je AOW-leeftijd komt steeds vaker voor, maar wat zijn jouw rechten bij ontslag als doorwerkende AOW’er? De hoofdregel is helder: wie ontslagen wordt n\u00e1 het bereiken van de AOW-leeftijd, heeft in principe geen recht op een transitievergoeding. Toch zijn er situaties waarbij dit genuanceerder ligt, en precies daar zit de valkuil voor zowel werknemer als werkgever.<\/p>\n

No transition payment upon dismissal on or after the state pension age<\/h2>\n

De wet maakt op dit punt een duidelijke keuze. Wordt jouw dienstverband be\u00ebindigd op het moment dat je de AOW-gerechtigde leeftijd bereikt, of pas daarna, dan geldt er geen recht op een transitievergoeding. Dit geldt ongeacht hoe lang je bij die werkgever in dienst bent geweest. De gedachte hierachter is dat je als AOW’er een pensioeninkomen ontvangt en dus niet hoeft te zoeken naar een nieuwe baan.<\/p>\n

This is also set out on the website of the Dutch central government: you are not entitled to a transition payment if you have been dismissed because you have reached the state pension age (AOW age) or another pensionable age. The same applies to anyone who continues working after reaching that age and is subsequently dismissed at a later point.<\/p>\n

What is the state pension age (AOW age) in 2026?<\/h2>\n

The state pension age (AOW age) in 2026 is 67. This also applies in 2027. It will then rise: for 2028 through to 2031 the AOW age will be 67 years and 3 months. The exact age depends on your date of birth, as the AOW age is linked to life expectancy and is determined five years in advance each year.<\/p>\n

Dismissal shortly before the state pension age<\/h2>\n

This is where it becomes interesting. If you are dismissed before you have reached the state pension age, the ordinary dismissal rules apply in full. You are therefore entitled to a transition payment, calculated over your entire period of employment. The Supreme Court confirmed this expressly in 2018: even someone dismissed shortly before pensionable age is fully entitled to the statutory transition payment. The payment is not capped at the income loss up to the pension date.<\/p>\n

This can make a considerable financial difference for employers, particularly in the case of employees with a long period of service. For you as an employee it is therefore crucial to know on which date the employment contract formally ends and whether that date falls before or after your personal AOW date.<\/p>\n

How much is the transition payment in 2026<\/h2>\n

For those who are entitled to a transition payment in 2026, the following applies. The payment amounts to one third of a gross monthly salary for each full year of service, calculated from the first working day. Partial years count on a pro-rata basis. The statutory maximum in 2026 has been set at \u20ac 102.000 bruto<\/strong>. If your annual salary exceeds that figure, your annual salary serves as the maximum.<\/p>\n

For comparison: in 2025 the maximum was still \u20ac98,000. The increase follows from the annual indexation based on the development of contractual wages.<\/p>\n

Special situations that require extra attention<\/h2>\n

There are a number of situations involving dismissal and the state pension age where your legal position deserves extra attention:<\/p>\n