Survivor’s pension: request, conditions and amount

What is the survivor’s pension?

Principle of the survivor’s pension

The survivor’s pension is a service paid to spouses surviving of a deceased insuredin order to allow them to benefit from part of the retirement that it could have received. This system exists in most retirement plans (general regime, complementary schemes, public service, etc.), but its conditions vary.

Do not confuse retirement reversion with widowhood allowance

The reversion of retirement is paid, in principle, lifetimeexcept specific cases. As for widowhood allowance, it consists of social assistance granted by the State to people who have become widows to 55 years, and whose resources are limited pending the resumption of a professional activity.

Who can benefit from the reversion of the pensions of his deceased spouse?

Although the majority of beneficiaries of a survivor’s pension are women, reversion is also accessible to the male spouse. And this, that the deceased has been employee or public service agent. To benefit from the survivor’s pension, it is essential to fulfill a certain number of conditions.

What are the conditions for reversion pension?

Marital living condition

Common life is not enough. You have to be or have been married with the beneficiary of the retirement pension. Currently, can only benefit from the survivors that people who can justify the quality of deceased insured spouses, the spouse (SE) in title currently and the ex-bloom (se) for divorced couples.

In the current state of the legislation, members of PACS couples or living in cohabitation have no right to the reversion of the PACS partner’s pension or partner. This principle is imposed on everyone, whatever the social regime to which they are affiliated.

Age condition for the surviving spouse

The opening of rights to the reversion of the disappeared spouse’s pensions is only possible when the surviving spouse has reached a certain age. On the other hand, no age condition is imposed on the deceased. Thus, even if he died before the age of his retirement, the reversion will be possible for his surviving spouse subject to meeting the award conditions.

A condition that varies according to the regimes

This age varies according to the various pension plans and between basic diets and complementary regimes:

• Basic scheme (social security and social security of self -employed workers): 55 years for spouses of private employees, traders, craftsmen and liberal professions.
• Additional regime (Agirc-Arrco for employees): 55 years for spouses of non-executive employees of the private sector, traders, craftsmen and liberal professions.
• The regime of civil servants does not impose any age condition, with the exception of the Ircantec (non -holders of the public service) where the condition is set at 50 years.

For other additional funds, age conditions vary. For example, it is set at 52 for notaries and 60 years for pharmacists.

How many years of marriage are necessary to have the survivor’s pension?

Some regimes require a minimum duration of marriage. This is for example the case for the civil servant regimewhere you must have been married at least two years before the retirement of the deceased, or four years in the other cases. Another possibility, to have at least one child from marriage.

What is the resource ceiling not to be exceeded in 2025 to touch the survivor’s pension?

Resource of basic retirement of employees

The objective of reversion being to maintain a sufficient level of resources to the surviving spouse, the amount will also depend on the resources of the surviving spouse. The revenues of the surviving spouse must therefore not exceed annually 2,080 times the hourly minimum wage, or 24 710.40 raw euros For a single person and 39,536.64 euros for a couple.

Basic retreat from other regimes

The resource ceilings mentioned mainly concern the general social security scheme. However, the rules vary according to retirement plans:

• The same amounts are applied for the calculation of the reversion of the basic retirement of the self -employed under the social security of the self -employed and the cash of the liberal professions.
• For civil servants, no resource ceiling is taken into account.
• Currently, the complementary pensions survivor’s pension is not subject to any resource condition.

Income taken into account

The resources taken into account include all income : salaries, retirement pensions, property income, etc. If the surviving spouse exercises a professional activity, only 70 % of his activity income is taken into account in the calculation. If the resources exceed these ceilings, the survivor’s pension can be reduced or deleted.

Cumulative income and survivor’s pension

If the applicant’s resources exceed the ceiling (above), he will not be able to touch the survivor’s pension. In the event of resources lower than the ceiling, the amount of the survivor’s pension will fully add to its income. If the addition of the survivor’s pension results in exceeding the resource ceiling, The amount of the reversion will be reduced.

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What is the amount of the survivor’s pension for a widow or a widower?

A variable amount depending on social regimes

The amount of the survivor’s pension depends on the pension plan to which the deceased as well as the amount of his pension was affiliated. Each applies regime a specific rate To calculate the share of retirement which will be donated to the surviving spouse. The exact amount perceived can be influenced by other factors, including a resource ceiling in certain regimes.

A capped amount

The survivor’s pension is capped at a monthly amount of 1 055.36 euros (or 12,664.32 euros per year in 2025). This rule valid for basic retirement does not apply to additional pensions. This rule does not apply to the retirement of the public service, which is not capped.

A minimum amount

Conversely, the survivor’s pension cannot be less than 3 983.29 euros per year (or 331.94 euros per month), under condition that the deceased person justified at least 60 quarters contributed (15 years of basic retirement contribution). If this condition is not fulfilled, the survivor’s pension is calculated according to the rights acquired and can be lower.

Age -related increase

The survivor’s pension can be increased by 11.1 % for spouses aged at least 67 years. The sum of retirement pensions and survivor’s pensions is however capped at 2,993.14 euros per quarter. If, by adding this increase, the total pensions exceeds this ceiling, the increase is reduced in proportion.

Children’s increase

A 10 % increase is applied if the surviving spouse and/or the deceased had at least three children (born or raised for at least nine years before their 16ᵉ anniversary). Likewise, a flat -rate increase of 112.58 euros per month And per dependent child is applied by the general social security scheme, until the child is no longer dependent.

Who affects the survivor’s pension in the event of remarriage, PACS or cohabitation?

Let us examine the effects of remarriage, civil solidarity (PACS) or cohabitation on reversion. Again, not all beneficiaries are housed in the same brand and the commitment of the widow or widower in a new union can have different implications On reversion, according to pension plans.

How to apply for a survivor’s pension?

Make your request online on info-rettat.fr

The allocation of the survivor’s pension is not automatic. The surviving spouse has every interest in requesting it via the online service within 12 months of the death of his spouse or ex-spouse. Only one request is necessary for all the regimes to which the deceased has contributed.

Provide supporting documents proving the legitimacy of the applicant

To finalize your request, it is necessary to produce the supporting documents proving that we fulfill the conditions of marriage, age and resources:

• Birth certificate of the deceased (less than three months) mentioning the date of marriage or divorce.
• Act of birth of the applicant.
• Copy of the applicant’s identity card.
• Copy of the family book.
• Copy of the last two tax notices.
• Copy of the latest personal bank account statements.
• Copy of the latest salary slips if the applicant is active.

In the case of remarriage, the applicant must also provide the proof of resources for his new spouse.

Beginning of the payment of the survivor’s pension

It is When filing the request that the start date of payment is to be fixed. The date must start on the first day of a month and cannot be prior to the first day of the month following the applicant’s 55 years. If the request is made in the year following the death, the payment may start from the first day of the month following the death.

Duration of the payment of the survivor’s pension

The payment of the survivor’s pension is not not limited in time. The payments can last until the end of the life of the beneficiary, provided that he or she continues to fulfill the conditions of eligibility (in particular the income conditions).

What is the deadline for receiving a survivor’s pension?

In the event of a favorable opinion

Once the request for a survivor’s pension filed with all the supporting documents required, the administration has a four -month To examine the file and notify its decision. If the response is favorable, the survivor’s pension is paid from the first day of the month following the request, with a retroactive effect if the request was made in the year following the death.

In case of absence of response

If no response is given within four months, this is equivalent to a Implicit refusal decision. In this case, the applicant can contest the decision by making a graceful appeal to the pension fund concerned. This approach is to send a letter explaining the reasons for the protest, accompanied by supporting documents.