Early retirement due to disability: Parkinson's and 10 other conditions are now included

What has the Government approved?

Royal Decree 632/2026, of July 29, modifies the annex to Royal Decree 1851/2009 to incorporate new illnesses into the list of disabilities that grant access to early retirement, as regulated in Article 206 bis of the General Social Security Law. This mechanism allows for a reduction in the minimum retirement age when there is conclusive evidence that a condition generally reduces life expectancy.

The rule comes into force on July 31, 2026 and applies to events giving rise to the tax after that date.

 

The eleven new pathologies included

The annex now includes the following diseases:

• variant transthyretin amyloidosis
• Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (Steinert)
• Huntington's disease
• Spina bifida
• Parkinson's disease
• Corticobasal degeneration
• Multiple system atrophy
• Progressive supranuclear palsy
• Systemic sclerosis
• Chronic kidney disease stage G5

In addition, the definition of spinal cord injury is broadened to include both traumatic and non-traumatic cases, and a new category of "systemic diseases" is created, grouping systemic sclerosis and stage G5 chronic kidney disease, with the aim of giving more internal consistency to the annex.

 

An annex designed to be updated

The Royal Decree itself states that this list is not exhaustive, but rather open and subject to periodic review as new medical evidence emerges. The inclusion of these eleven conditions is the result of a procedure regulated by Order ISM/444/2025, in which a technical committee comprised of specialists from the Carlos III Health Institute, the Forensic Medical Council, the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine, the National Social Security Institute (INSS), the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (IMSERSO), and the National Disability Council assessed the inclusion of each condition before the Directorate General for the Organization of Social Security issued its decision.

 

Requirements to access early retirement

To benefit from this age reduction without a decrease in pension, workers must meet these requirements:

• Being registered or in a situation equivalent to registration on the date of the event giving rise to the event
• Prove 15 years of contributions throughout your working life
• Having been affected, for at least 5 of those years, by any of the pathologies in the annex with a degree of disability equal to or greater than 45 %

In these cases, the period in which the retirement age is reduced is counted as a contribution period for the purpose of calculating the percentage applicable to the regulatory base of the pension, which prevents the worker from seeing their amount reduced by bringing forward retirement.

 

What does this mean in practice?

For workers with any of these conditionsIt is advisable to check if you meet the contribution and illness impact requirements, as you could bring forward your retirement to age 56 without penalty to your pension.

For businessesIt is advisable to be aware of this regulatory change in order to plan staffing levels and manage employees with recognized disabilities, especially in sectors with older workers.

For the self-employedThe mechanism is also applicable if the contribution requirements are met, so it is worth assessing the personal situation in the event of a possible illness included in the annex.

RecommendationIf you or someone in your environment suffers from any of these pathologies, it is advisable to request an assessment of the degree of disability as soon as possible, since the calculation of the 5 years required begins to count from when the 45 % or more is accredited.

 

Do you want to know if you qualify for early retirement or have questions about how this extension affects you? Our advisory office in Cieza can review your case. Contact us for a free consultation.