Under 15 Years of Taiwan Labor Insurance — Lump Sum Only? Combine National Pension for Monthly Payments, but Use Formula B

Data as of: 2026-11-05. National Pension monthly insured amount NT$21,103 (2026) and Formula A add-on NT$4,049 per the Bureau of Labor Insurance (page updated 2026-08-28); Labor Insurance Act Articles 58 and 74-2 and National Pension Act Article 30 per the Laws & Regulations Database. Check your own years and amounts with the Bureau’s calculator.

These two shorts had 100,000 Facebook plays combined. Both answer the same question: “I only have 10 years of Labor Insurance — is a lump sum my only option?”

The conclusion in three sentences:

• Not necessarily. Paid National Pension years can be combined with Labor Insurance to reach 15 years and switch to monthly payments.
• The lump sum doesn’t come sooner either. If you were first insured after 2009, under 15 years gets you the “old-age lump-sum payment,” still only at the statutory age (65 for those born in ROC 51/1962 or later).
• Combining is still worth it, but calculate the National Pension part with Formula B. Once you draw a Labor Insurance pension, you can’t choose Formula A for the National Pension.

Where I stand: I treat both Labor Insurance and National Pension as the floor and save separately for the rest. This post only gives the math; it doesn’t choose for you.

The rule: Labor Insurance + National Pension totaling 15 years means monthly payments

Labor Insurance Act Article 74-2: with under 15 years of Labor Insurance, you can count National Pension years too; once the total reaches 15, you can claim the Labor Insurance old-age pension at the statutory age.

Where do National Pension years come from? Any time after 25 that you’re not on Labor Insurance automatically becomes National Pension coverage (Should You Pay the National Pension?). But only years with premiums paid count.

Example 1: 10 years Labor Insurance + 5 years National Pension

Scenario: 10 years of Labor Insurance at an average insured salary of NT$40,100 (roughly the 2026 median salary bracket), plus 5 paid years of National Pension.

Break-even: NT$401,000 ÷ 6,216 = 64.5 months, about 5½ years. Start at 65 and you catch up before 70½.

Even if you only live to 84 (the Bureau’s current life table gives a 65-year-old about 19 more years), monthly pays about NT$1.42 million, 3.5× the lump sum.

So unless your health is poor or you urgently need cash, monthly is the better deal.

Example 2: the trap is in the National Pension part

The National Pension old-age pension has two formulas:

• Formula A: monthly insured amount × years × 0.65% + 4,049
• Formula B: monthly insured amount × years × 1.3%

For short contributors, Formula A is usually higher. But National Pension Act Article 30 says people already receiving a Labor Insurance old-age benefit can only use Formula B.

Using the Bureau of Labor Insurance’s own example: 10 years of Labor Insurance (average 30,000) + 12 years of National Pension.

Still worth combining? Yes

Same example: 10 years of Labor Insurance alone would only allow a lump sum, 30,000 × 10 = about NT$300,000.

After combining: Labor Insurance pension 5,325 + National Pension Formula B 3,292 = NT$8,617 a month, and the longer you live, the more you get.

Just remember: when planning your retirement income, use Formula B for the National Pension part, not the Formula A figure.

Note: Article 30 has an exception, but only for certain enrollees, and its “within 15 years of the Act taking effect” window closed on September 30, 2023. It no longer applies to most people.

What you can do now

1. Check your Labor Insurance years. The Bureau’s online service or app shows your coverage years.
2. Check for National Pension arrears. Unpaid years don’t count, but anything within 10 years can still be paid (National Pension Act Article 17); after that it’s gone for good. A regular enrollee pays NT$1,329 a month in 2026.
3. Once you’ve checked both, compare lump sum and monthly with the Bureau’s calculator.

FAQ

The short videos

Under 15 years:

The National Pension part is NT$2,400 less:

Further reading

Lazy conclusion

懶大

金融科技新創 CEO | 獨立財務顧問

1. Under 15 years doesn’t mean lump sum only: paid National Pension years can combine with Labor Insurance to reach 15 for monthly payments
2. The lump sum also waits until 65: for those first insured after 2009, the old-age lump-sum payment comes at the statutory age too
3. 10 years Labor Insurance + 5 years National Pension: NT$401,000 lump sum vs NT$6,216 a month, caught up by 70½
4. The National Pension part is Formula B only: about NT$2,400 less a month in the Bureau’s example, but the combined NT$8,617 a month still beats a NT$300,000 lump sum
5. Check two things first: Labor Insurance years and National Pension arrears (payable within 10 years)

Labor Insurance and National Pension are the floor; save separately for the rest.

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Sources

• Labor Insurance Act Articles 19, 58, 74-2 (Laws & Regulations Database N0050001)
• National Pension Act Articles 7, 17, 30 (Laws & Regulations Database D0050152)
• Bureau of Labor Insurance: National Pension old-age pension Formulas A/B and cases where Formula A can’t be chosen (bli.gov.tw/0014336.html); dual-pension example (bli.gov.tw/0017392.html)
• Bureau of Labor Insurance: old-age benefit eligibility (bli.gov.tw/0004856.html)
• Ministry of Health and Welfare: 2026 National Pension monthly insured amount NT$21,103
• Math: 401,000 ÷ 6,215.5 = 64.5 months; 6,215.5 × 228 months = 1,417,134; 21,103 × 5 × 1.3% = 1,372

This post explains the rules and runs example numbers. It is not advice on applying for benefits. Check your own years and amounts with the Bureau of Labor Insurance calculator.