Administrative services A-Z

Forms: yes

Online procedure possible: yes

Written form required: yes

Personal appearance required: no
 

• Application for a survivor's pension for download
• Online application for a survivor's pension (without registration)
• Open cached online application

The widow's or widower's pension supports you in the event of the death of your partner. It can help cushion the financial hardship often associated with this. The regulations apply equally to surviving spouses and registered civil partners.

A widow's or widower's pension is paid from the pension account of the deceased. This pension account determines the amount of your respective widow's or widower's pension.

In the first three calendar months after death, your widow's or widower's pension is as high as the pension of the deceased (so-called death quarter).

Large and small widow's pension

Subsequently, you will receive the so-called large or small widow's or widower's pension.

• Large widow's and widower's pension: You receive 55 percent of the pension that the deceased had received or would have received at the time of death.
• Small widow's and widower's pension: You receive 25 percent of the pension that the deceased had received or would have received at the time of death. This pension is usually paid for a maximum of 24 months.

Due to deductions, the pension paid to you may be lower. It depends on how old your partner was. Under certain conditions, you can receive a child supplement.

If you have other income that exceeds a certain allowance, it will be partially deducted from your widow's or widower's pension. How high the allowance is, is calculated individually. Exception: In the first three calendar months (quarter of death) after death, your own income will not be taken into account.

Widow's or widower's pension under the old law

The laws on widow's or widower's pension were amended from 2002. Depending on the time of death and your marriage or partnership, you may be able to receive a widow's or widower's pension under the old law. The calculation may then differ:

• 60 instead of 55 percent of the pension of the deceased is taken as a basis.
• You can also receive the small widow's or widower's pension indefinitely.
• Fewer types of income are taken into account.
• There is no child supplement.

General requirements

• You didn't remarry

• The deceased has paid into the pension insurance for at least 5 years (general qualifying period) or has already received a pension.

  • Exception: If your partner has had an accident at work, for example, shorter periods may be sufficient.

• You had been married or partnered for at least one year at the time of your death.

  • Exception: Sometimes it is sufficient if you have been married for less than a year. This applies, for example, if your partner died in an accident.

If you remarry, your widow's or widower's pension ends. However, you can then apply for a severance payment as a jump-start in a new phase of life.

If you decided as a couple to divide your pension rights (pension splitting), you cannot receive a widow's or widower's pension.

Small widow's or widower's pension

You can receive the small widow's pension if:

• You are younger than the current age limit:

  • Age limit for death in 2020: 45 years and 9 months
  • This age limit will gradually rise to 47 years by 2029.

• you are not incapacitated and

• You are not raising a child under the age of 18.

Large widow's or widower's pension

You can receive the large widow's pension if you either

• have reached the current age limit specified above, or
• are incapacitated, or
• bring up their own child or a child of the deceased under the age of 18, or
• care for a disabled child or child of the deceased, regardless of their age.

Widow's or widower's pension under the old law

You may be entitled to a widow's or widower's pension under the old law if:

• your partner died before 1 January 2002, or
• you married before 1 January 2002, and
• Your partner was born before 2 January 1962.

In these cases, you can receive the pension even if you:

• were married for less than 1 year.

Widow's or widower's pension to spouses divorced before 1 July 1977

If your marriage was dissolved before 1 July 1977, you may, under certain conditions, also

• despite already divorced marriage or
• in the case of a new marriage or civil partnership that has been dissolved

receive a special widow's or widower's pension.

Widow's or widower's pension after penultimate spouse

You can receive a so-called widow's or widower's pension after the penultimate spouse if you

• have remarried or registered a civil partnership after the death of their former partner, and
• the new connection has now been dissolved or cancelled.

• valid identity card or passport

• Evidence not included in the survivor's insurance history, such as:

  • Offsetting certificates
  • Proof of training periods
  • Proof of unemployment
  • Proof of periods of illness

• Death certificate

• Marriage certificate

• Information about your income

• Last pension adjustment notification of the deceased or other pension documents

none

You can apply for the widow's or widower's pension in writing, in person or online.

Tip: Before you submit your application, you can seek advice from the German Pension Insurance.

Written pension application:

• Download the application for a survivor's pension on the website of the German Pension Insurance. Complete the application for an insured person's pension and the forms mentioned therein and compile the necessary documents.
• You can submit your completed and signed application with the required documents either:
  • send by post to the German Pension Insurance or
  • at one of the local counselling centres.
• You will receive a confirmation of receipt.
• The German Pension Insurance will check your application for completeness and, if necessary, request missing documents.
• The German Pension Insurance checks the requirements for your pension entitlement and the insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance history.
• The German Pension Insurance clarifies other issues, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional or receive another pension.
• If you are entitled to the widow's or widower's pension, you will receive a pension notice with details of the start, the start of the current payment and the amount. Furthermore, you will be informed about your rights and obligations.
• If you are not entitled to the widow's or widower's pension, you will receive a rejection notice stating the reason for the rejection.

Pension application via online procedure:

• Go to the online portal of the German Pension Insurance and register. You can use your signature card, your identity card with electronic proof of identity or your electronic residence title.
• Fill out the application for a survivor's pension and upload the necessary documents. You then submit your pension application online.
• You will receive a confirmation of receipt.
• The German Pension Insurance will check your application for completeness and, if necessary, request missing documents.
• The German Pension Insurance checks the requirements for your pension entitlement and the insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance history.
• The German Pension Insurance clarifies other issues, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional or receive another pension.
• If you are entitled to the widow's or widower's pension, you will receive a pension notice with details of the start, the start of the current payment and the amount. Furthermore, you will be informed about your rights and obligations.
• If you are not entitled to the widow's or widower's pension, you will receive a rejection notice stating the reason for the rejection.

Personal request in the consultation:

• Compile the necessary documents for the application and make an appointment at an information and advice centre of the German Pension Insurance.
• During the consultation, your application for a widow's or widower's pension will usually be recorded electronically and forwarded online.
• When your pension application has arrived, you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt.
• The German Pension Insurance checks the application for completeness and, if necessary, requests missing documents.
• The German Pension Insurance checks the requirements for your pension entitlement and your insurance history for completeness. If necessary, it clarifies gaps in the insurance history.
• The German Pension Insurance clarifies other issues, for example your health insurance relationship, whether you earn additional money or receive an accident pension.
• If you are entitled to a widow's or widower's pension, you will receive a pension notice with details of the start, the start of the current payment and the amount. Furthermore, you will be informed about your rights and obligations.
• If you are not entitled to the widow's or widower's pension, you will receive a rejection notice stating the reason for the rejection.

The pension application can also be submitted for you by a person you trust. Please submit a corresponding power of attorney to the German Pension Insurance. As long as the power of attorney is valid, it is addressed exclusively to your authorized person.

Payment of pension: If the deceased

• has already received your own pension, your widow's or widower's pension begins at the earliest in the month following the death.
• has not yet received your own pension, your widow's or widower's pension begins on the day of death.

Application deadlines:

• Make the application no later than 12 calendar months after the date of death.
• If you apply later, the pension does not start until the month of application.

German Pension Insurance

• Addresses and service numbers of the competent institutions of the German Pension Insurance

You can find the pension insurance institution responsible for you via the information and advice centre finder of the German Pension Insurance.

Phone (hotline): 0800 10004800 (toll-free)
Service hours:
Monday to Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

E-mail: drv@drv-bund.de
 

• Information and advice centre finder of the German Pension Insurance
• Information on the service telephone for deaf and hearing-impaired people on the website of the German Pension Insurance

• § 46 Sixth Book of the Social Code (SGB VI)
• § 242a Sixth Book of the Social Code (SGB VI)
• § 243 Sixth Book of the Social Code (SGB VI)
• § 243a Sixth Book of the Social Code (SGB VI)

• General information on survivors' pensions on the website of the German Pension Insurance
• Information brochure on survivors' pensions on the website of the German Pension Insurance
• Information on additional earnings for the widow's or widower's pension on the website of the German Pension Insurance
• Information on survivors' pensions on the website of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
• Information brochure: Guide to pensions on the website of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs

Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs