Survivors' pension

The MEL pension insurance also provides financial security to the family members of the insured party in case of death. Survivors' pension is paid as a widow's pension and as a child's pension.

A widow is entitled to a widow's pension if:

  • they were married to the insured party before the deceased had turned 65 and the couple has or has had a child together
  • they were married to the insured party before the widow turned 50 and the deceased turned 65 and the marriage had continued for at least five years, and
    • at the time of death of the deceased, the widow was aged 50 or older, or
    • at the time of death of the deceased, the widow had received disability pension in accordance with the employee pension legislation or the National Pensions Act for at least three years.

     

    Common-law spouses have the right to a surviving spouse’s pension if they meet the following conditions:

    • common-law spouse passed away in 2022 or later,
    • you have a dependent child together with the deceased,
    • you shared a household for at least five years with your deceased common-law spouse before their death,
    • you moved into a shared household with your common-law spouse before they turned 65 years.

     

A previous spouse of the deceased may also be entitled to a widow's pension if the deceased was liable to pay them alimony.

A widow refers to both male and female widows and the other party of a registered partnership.

Old-age pension
Flexible partial old-age pension
Disability pension
Years-of-service pension
Vocational rehabilitation
Survivors' pension

A child's pension is paid to

  • children and foster/adopted children of the deceased if/when they are under the age of 20
  • to the widow's child under the age of 20 who lived in the same household as the deceased and their widow at the time of death of the deceased.
  • Surviving spouse's pension and orphan's pension protect the family
    The survivors' pension replaces income that is lost when your family's wage earner dies. There are two survivors' pensions: the surviving spouse's pension and the orphan's pension. Together they form a whole and affect each other.

  • Who may have the right to survivors' pension?
    You may have the right to an earnings-related survivors' pension if you are
    * a child of the deceased and under the age of 20
    * a married or common-law spouse of the deceased
    * a former spouse of the deceased
    Same-sex parties to a registered relationship are comparable to married spouses.
  • Is it possible to receive a funeral grant?
    It is no longer possible to receive a funeral grant.
    The funeral grant was discontinued as of the beginning of 2021 due to the reform of the Seafarer's Pension Act.
    Until the end of 2020, the funeral grant was paid to the next of kin of seafarers who died under the age of 67, provided that the seafarer received MEL pension according to the special accruel percentages or would have been entitled to one.