Living with Nerve Damage in Germany: How New Disability Rules Put Everyday Struggles Ahead of Medical Reports
13.06.2026 - 15:21:41 | boerse-global.de
Since October 2025, German authorities evaluating disability claims for polyneuropathy have shifted their focus. Instead of relying exclusively on clinical findings, officials now weigh how the condition actually interferes with daily life—checking everything from how someone walks to whether they can button a shirt.
The change stems from the 6th Amendment Regulation, issued on 3 October 2025, which sharpened the assessment criteria. For people living with the often-painful nerve disorder, the practical impact is clear: detailed diaries of morning routines and grocery trips now carry as much weight as nerve-conduction studies.
Grading the Severity
Disability ratings, expressed as a Grad der Behinderung (GdB), follow a tiered system based on symptom intensity.
Mild sensory disturbances typically score a GdB of 10 to 20. When moderate gait unsteadiness or fine-motor difficulties appear, the rating climbs to 30 or 40 points. Severe motor deficits or pronounced instability are needed to reach a GdB of 50—the threshold for recognition as severely disabled and for special job protections.
Germany's social courts have repeatedly upheld this ladder. The Baden-Württemberg State Social Court (LSG), on 18 September 2025 (case reference L 6 SB 1119/24), confirmed a single GdB of 20 for a claimant with mild-to-moderate gait insecurity. The LSG Lower Saxony-Bremen, on 22 January 2026 (L 10 SB 158/22), added that when several conditions coexist, their combined weight for a severe-disability designation depends on whether the impairments amplify each other—simple addition of individual points does not apply.
What Patients Must Do to Win Their Case
Anyone who receives a rejection or an unduly low rating has one month to file an objection. Experts advise requesting full access to the administrative file; only then can the agency's reasoning be properly challenged. If the objection fails, the matter can be taken to the social court.
Active cooperation is critical. The LSG Hesse, in a decision on 27 January 2026 (L 3 SB 80/23), warned that refusing a requested medical examination can backfire. More broadly, specialists stress that during the objection phase, a detailed written description of everyday difficulties—how far the patient can walk, whether they drop objects, how sleep is affected—often proves more persuasive than a stack of lab results.
Added Job Security at GdB 50
Once a person reaches a GdB of 50, they gain the special dismissal protection under § 168 of Book Nine of the Social Code (SGB IX). An employer must then obtain prior approval from the Integration Office before terminating employment. Procedural missteps carry heavy costs.
The Baden-WĂĽrttemberg State Labour Court recently found a dismissal invalid because the employer failed to inform the works council adequately and withheld a statement favourable to the employee. Anyone who receives a notice of termination must file a dismissal-protection suit within three weeks.
Mobility Aids, E-Bikes, and a Broader View
Beyond the GdB, many polyneuropathy patients also seek the "G" marker (erhebliche Gehbehinderung), which entitles them to added benefits for severe walking impairment. The Federal Social Court (BSG), on 11 June 2026 (B 9 SB 1/25 R), clarified that the entire constellation of health issues must be considered when assessing gait ability. That can include conditions such as severe obesity or cardiovascular disease if they substantially restrict mobility.
On assistive devices, patients can claim technical equipment that enables independent living. The BSG has already ruled that health insurers must pay for an electric wheelchair when a manual one can no longer be propelled by the user's own strength. Telling the patient to rely on family members is not an acceptable alternative.
E-bikes, however, are treated as general consumer goods. The LSG Lower Saxony-Bremen (judgment of 25 November 2014) held that they are not reimbursable. A therapeutic tricycle, by contrast, may be covered if medical necessity is proven and the device contributes to stabilising the ability to walk.
