A survivor's pension is a financial support for the relatives of the deceased. They can apply for it if the deceased was en titled to an old-age or disability pension. Check under what conditions they will receive it and how much is the current survivor's pension.
Survivor's pensionis intended for the family of a person who had an established en titlement to a retirement or disability pension due to incapacity to work or met the conditions for obtaining it.
The Social Insurance Institution grants a survivor's pension on the basis of the Act (Journal of Laws of 2022, item 1383, as amended).
Who can get survivors' benefits?
Relatives of a person who received pre-retirement allowance, pre-retirement benefit or teacher's compensation benefit can also apply for a survivor's pension.
This situation gives the right to apply for financial support in the form of a survivor's pension to both children, grandchildren, spouse and parents of the deceased.
- Children of the deceased
According to the regulations, both own and spouse's children and adopted children are en titled to the survivors' pension. The condition is their age.
The money can be applied for by children who are under the age of 16 or 25 - if they are in education (it is possible to receive a pension until graduation if the deceased's child turned 25 in the last year of studies).
The age requirement does not apply to children who become incapable of work before the age of 16.
The survivor's pension may also be applied for by grandchildren, siblings and other children who were accepted by the deceased for upbringing at least one year before their death and before they reached the age of majority. In such a situation, however, it is necessary to prove that their parents are dead or cannot provide them with support.
- Widower or widow
A spouse is another person eligible for a survivor's pension from a deceased husband or wife. This applies to both the married and divorced people who were en titled to maintenance.
You must be 50 years of age or unable to work to receive this payment when your spouse dies. A pension is also available to a spouse who does not meet these conditions, but is raising a child, grandson or siblings,who is en titled to a survivor's pension after the deceased.
There is also an age requirement here: the child must not be over 16 or 18 (if he or she is still studying). ZUS will also award a pension to a person who has reached 50 years of age or has become incapable of work after the death of the spouse, if it happened within 5 years from the death or after the end of raising children.
What about widows and widowers who do not meet these conditions but have no source of income? They will also receive a survivor's pension, but only for one year after their death or when they decide to undergo training that gives them the opportunity to earn. Then the pension will be paid for the entire period of documented training.
- Parents of the deceased
If the parents of the deceased were supported by him, then they also have the right to apply for a survivor's pension. Parents will receive it on similar terms as the spouse (it is about age conditions or incapacity for work).
How much is the survivor's pension?
The lowest survivors' pension in 2022 was PLN 1,100. This is the rate to which lower survivors' pensions are raised. This can happen because the amount of the benefit is based on the deceased person's pension.
ZUS calculates the survivor's pension assuming that it should constitute 85 percent. benefits of the deceased. This amount increases if there are more people en titled to a pension. With two people receiving a survivor's pension, 90 percent are to be divided between them. benefits of the deceased, with three persons: 95%.
The survivor's pension may be suspended (if the income of the person receiving it is higher than 130% of the average monthly salary) or reduced accordingly if it exceeds 70%. You can also opt out of the benefit.
The money is paid out by ZUS from the month in which the en titled person submitted the application. This form can be downloaded electronically on the ZUS website or at the facility - this is an ERR-W application.
Worth knowingThe application should be accompanied by documents documenting the right to survivor's pension, i.e. death certificate, birth certificate of the applicant, marriage certificate, he alth certificate (if the condition is incapacity for work), certificate of attendance schools, decision to grant alimony, certificate of no earnings.