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

After the death of your former life partner or spouse as a result of an insured event, you may receive a pension from the statutory accident insurance.

Description

If your former spouse died as a result of an insured event, for example an accident at work, you may receive a pension. The same applies to registered civil partnerships. An insured person is entitled to a pension if he or she provided maintenance to former spouses or former registered civil partners during the last year before the death or if there was a corresponding claim to maintenance.

You must submit an application to this effect to the relevant employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund.
The pension is 30 percent of the deceased person's annual income. Monthly payments begin 3 months after the death. You will receive the pension for a maximum of 21 months.

You will receive the pension equal to 40 percent of the deceased person's annual income if you:

  • Are raising a child,
  • are older than 47 years of age, or
  • are incapacitated, unable to work or unable to work within the meaning of the statutory pension insurance.

It may be that other persons are entitled to the pension in addition to you, for example, if the deceased person was married and divorced several times. In such a case, the pension is divided according to the duration of the marriage or civil partnership with the deceased person.

If you have an income, the pension is reduced.

Prerequisites

You will receive the widow's or widower's pension for former spouses and former life partners if

  • the death was the result of an insured event (this includes occupational accidents, commuting accidents and occupational diseases),
  • your former marriage or former registered partnership was divorced, annulled or declared null and void, and
  • the deceased person was dependent on you during the year preceding the death, or
  • you were entitled to maintenance.

Procedure

You can apply for the widow's or widower's pension for former spouses or for former life partners from the statutory accident insurance online or by mail.

Online service:

  • Call up the online service.
  • You will be guided through the procedure on the accident insurance service portal.
  • You can log in.
    • If you would like to receive the response from your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund in the mailbox of your BundID account or My Company Account, you must have an account and authenticate yourself.
    • 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 bis 3 Monate

Required documents

  • Required Documents

    • Death certificate
    • Your bank details (IBAN and BIC)
    • Marriage certificate (family record book) or civil partnership certificate
    • Certified declaration of divorce, dissolution or annulment of marriage or civil partnership in accordance with the Civil Partnership Act (Lebenspartnerschaftsgesetz)
    • your social security number
    • to check your entitlement to benefits, you must submit an application to the relevant accident insurance institution. Here you will find out whether and, if so, what other documents you need.

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

  • Opposition
    • 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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