In a family with modest resources, when one of the spouses dies, the financial situation takes a huge hit, especially if the deceased had the highest income. The other person can then find themselves with huge dependent expenses, in addition to expenses related to even adult children in some cases. What to do then to avoid ending up in misery?
The surviving spouse can benefit from an allowance deducted from part of the pension of the socially insured person who is no longer. This is a survivor’s pension. What are the conditions for accessing these funds? How do I apply, and who can claim it?
What is a survivor’s pension?
The survivor’s pension is part of the pension of the deceased insured person, employee, or civil servant, of the funds from which he benefited or could have benefited if he were still alive. It is paid to the surviving spouse under certain conditions,
Note, however, that marriage is a prerequisite for receiving these funds. That is to say that the missing person must imperatively be married or have been married to the person making the request. Unfortunately, the law does not recognize cohabitation or the civil solidarity pact (Pacs). In the case of successive marriages of the deceased, the funds are paid to the surviving spouse and to the divorced ex-spouse, in proportion to the duration of each marriage.
The amount of each beneficiary also depends on the pension organization concerned. However, certain cases such as a couple’s income ceiling that is too high or remarriage can lead to the abolition of survivorship.
Who can claim it?
While women are generally the main beneficiaries of these funds due to their longer lifespan, this right is nevertheless open to all, men and women alike.
If the deceased worked in the private sector
To qualify for this pension, certain conditions must be met. First of all, the deceased person must have contributed to the general scheme. Then, the potential beneficiary must have been married to the insured person. The amount corresponds to 54% of the pension received by the deceased. Age conditions must also be respected: the survivor will only be able to receive the funds from the age of 55, or 51 if the death occurred before 2009.
Finally, the law imposes a ceiling on resources for the spouse or ex-spouse. He cannot claim this right if he alone receives more than 21,986.60 euros per year . If he lives as a couple, the total household income must not exceed 35,176.96 euros. If you are over 54 years old and you are still working, your annual resources are calculated by taking into account only 70% of your earned income for that year.
If the deceased was a civil servant or contract public agent
The survivor’s pension is paid without conditions of age or resources when the deceased was a civil servant or a contractual public agent. The amount corresponds to 50% of the rights of the deceased. It is however possible to benefit from a supplement if one receives income below the minimum old age. To be eligible for this aid, you must have been married to the insured for at least 4 years before your death or 2 years before your retirement. Note, however, that remarriage cancels the payment of the survivor’s pension.
How do I apply for a survivor’s pension?
The survivor’s pension is not automatically paid to the beneficiaries. You must make a request in due form. To do this, simply contact the pension organization of the deceased spouse. The structure will take care of sending the information to the other schemes if the deceased has contributed to several funds. However, to avoid too many complications, you can simply send your file to an official site. The applicant creates an account which will allow him, among other things, to follow the progress of his file online.
For the constitution of the file, you will have to provide the birth certificate of the deceased with the date of marriage or divorce. You must also send the birth certificate, the copy of the identity card, and the copy of the applicant’s family record book.
If it is a basic pension, in addition to the documents mentioned above, a copy of the last 2 tax notices and a copy of the last personal bank account statements are required. We also ask for a copy of the last payslips if the person making the request is active.
What is the procedure to follow when the applicant remarried? The latter must submit proof of the income of his new spouse. However, it should be noted that the various pension funds may require other documents.
The advantages of the survivor’s pension
The survivor’s pension allows the surviving spouse or the divorced ex-spouse not to find themselves completely destitute after the death of their spouse. The funds can be used, for example, to support the expenses of the house. For households with modest resources, these funds represent a real financial crunch.
What happens if the first beneficiary dies before receiving the pension?
If the first beneficiary dies, the funds are paid to the other beneficiaries if they so request and especially if they meet the conditions, some of which have been listed above.
As mentioned above, the funds are not paid automatically, although they are intended to help people in need.
Calculate the pension amount
The pension application may be rejected if your income exceeds the ceiling. On the other hand, if your resources are below the authorized threshold, the amount of this pension supplements your income. However, if the payment of the allowance causes the ceiling to be exceeded, a reduction in its amount is then carried out to respect the threshold. How to calculate the amount of the reversion