Widow's and widower's pension from the statutory accident insurance; application

As a widow, widower or part of a civil partnership with the deceased person, you may receive a pension from the statutory accident insurance.

Description

If a fatal occupational accident or disease occurs, the statutory accident insurance provides financial protection for surviving dependents.

This means that your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund can provide you with financial support if your spouse dies as a result of such an insured event. The same applies to life partners. An application is not necessary.

In the first 3 months after the death, the pension amounts to 2 thirds of the annual earned income (JAV), i.e. the income of the deceased person. After that, the pension is generally 30 percent of that.

Under certain conditions, the pension may be 40 percent of annual earnings for the first 3 months if you are

  • are raising a child
  • are at least 47 years old
  • or are disabled for work or disability.

If you have your own income, the pension may be reduced.

You are not usually entitled to a pension if:

  • you entered into the marriage or civil partnership after the insured event, and
  • the death occurred within the first year of this marriage or civil partnership.

An exception exists here if it is evident that you did not enter into the marriage or civil partnership primarily in order to receive the pension.

Prerequisites

You are entitled to the widow's and widower's survivor's pension under the following conditions:

  • Death of the (spouse) partner as a result of an insured event:
    • Occupational accident,
    • commuting accident or
    • occupational disease
  • You have previously lived in a legally valid marriage or civil partnership under the Civil Partnership Act.

As a rule, you do not have a claim if

  • you entered into the marriage or civil partnership after the insured event and
  • the death occurred within the first year of this marriage or civil partnership.

Procedure

In principle, you do not have to apply for a survivor's pension. The relevant employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund will determine the entitlement and the amount of the survivor's pension on its own initiative ("ex officio").

You have the option of initiating the process online or by mail.

Online service:

  • Call up the online service.
  • You will be guided through the process on the accident insurance service portal.
  • You can log in.
    • If you would like to receive the response from your workers' compensation association or accident insurance fund in the mailbox of your BundID account or My Company Account, you must have an account and authenticate.
    • If you would like to receive the response by mail, you can also proceed without logging in.
  • Select your responsible employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund or determine it using the industry search.
  • Upload the required documents.
  • Fill out the online form and submit it.
  • Your report will automatically be forwarded to your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund.
  • You will receive a response via the requested channel.

Online service of your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund:

  • If you have access to the portal of your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund, you can also submit the notification electronically there, if necessary.

Message by mail:

  • Contact your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund with an informal letter.
  • Make sure you provide the required information and enclose the necessary documents.

Deadlines

There is no deadline.

Processing time

1 to 3 months

Required documents

  • Erforderliche Unterlage/n

    • Sterbeurkunde
    • Kontonummer der bezugsberechtigten Person (IBAN und BIC)
    • Heiratsurkunde (Stammbuch) beziehungsweise Lebenspartnerschaftsurkunde
    • Sozialversicherungsnummer der bezugsberechtigten Person
    • gegebenenfalls Geburtsurkunden von gemeinsamen Kindern

    Bitte erfragen Sie bei der für Sie zuständigen Berufsgenossenschaft oder Unfallkasse, ob und gegebenenfalls welche weiteren Unterlagen Sie einreichen müssen.

Online procedures

  • Rente für Hinterbliebene online beantragen

    You can apply online for widow's and widower's pensions, widow's or widower's pensions for former spouses or for former life partners from the statutory accident insurance scheme

Fees

  • There are no costs involved.

Legal bases

Remedy

  • Appeal
    • Detailed information on how to lodge an appeal can be found in the notification from your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund.

Links to more information

Related issues

Status:29.08.2023

Responsible for editing:Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales

  • Online transactions, Bavaria-wide
  • Online transactions, locally limited
  • Form, Bavaria-wide
  • Form, locally limited
  • Prefillable Form, Bavaria-wide
  • Legal bases, Bavaria-wide
  • Legal bases, locally limited
  • Fees, Bavaria-wide
  • Fees, locally limited
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