A surviving spouse and children below the age of 18 years may receive survivors’ pension.
 
A child receives survivors’ pension if he or she is below the age of 18 at the time of the death of the family provider. A child is always entitled to survivors’ pension on the death of his or her biological or adoptive parents. A child receives survivors’ pension on the death of a stepmother or stepfather only if he or she lived in the same household at the time of the stepparent’s death. Pension is paid concurrently after the deaths of a maximum of two people through whom a benefit is derived.

A surviving spouse can receive survivors’ pension if the marriage took place before the deceased spouse reached 65 years of age. A surviving male or female spouse can receive survivors’ pension.

If the surviving spouse has, or has had, a child together with the deceased spouse, he or she is entitled to a survivors’ pension regardless of his or her age or the age of the child. If the spouses have no child together, the following supplementary clauses concerning the age of the surviving spouse as well as entry into marriage and the duration of the marriage must be met before the surviving spouse is eligible for survivors’ pension.

A childless surviving spouse receives survivors’ pension if

• the surviving spouse was at least 50 years old when the deceased spouse died, or
• he or she received disability pension no less than 3 years immediately before the death of the deceased spouse

In addition

• the surviving spouse must have been less than 50 years of age at the time of the marriage, and
• the marriage must have lasted for at least 5 years before the death of the deceased spouse

A party to a registered partnership may receive survivors’ pension under the same conditions as those that apply to a married spouse.

A former spouse may receive survivors’ pension only if the deceased was liable to pay maintenance.

A common-law spouse may not receive survivors’ pension. If the common-law spouses entered into marriage after the age of 50, the bereaved spouse receives survivors’ pension only if the spouses have a child together.