Published on 26 August 2025

Widows, widowers and orphans

The death of a person can leave their immediate family facing financial difficulties. Benefits exist that provide surviving dependants with financial support. These include a widow's pension, a widower's pension and an orphan's pension.

Eligibility criteria

Following the death of your partner or a parent, you are generally entitled to survivors’ benefits.

The OASI pays a widow's pension if, at the time of your spouse's death:
- you have a child; or
- you are 45 or older and had been married for at least five years.
If you are divorced, you are entitled, under certain circumstances, to an OASI widow's pension.
Please note that an OASI widow's pension will not be paid out if your spouse had paid OASI contributions for less than one year prior to their death.
If your deceased spouse had occupational pension insurance, you are also entitled to a widow's pension from their pension fund. If you were not married at the time of your spouse's death, entitlement to survivors' benefits depends on the regulations of the deceased's pension fund. In addition, you must have been designated as the deceased's life partner and meet the conditions stipulated by their pension fund.
Registered partners have the same rights to a survivor's pension as married partners.
The OASI pays you a widower's pension if, at the time of your spouse's death, you have a child.
If you are divorced, you are entitled, under certain circumstances, to an OASI widower's pension.
Please note that an OASI widower's pension will not be paid out if your spouse had paid OASI contributions for less than one year prior to their death.
If your deceased spouse had occupational pension insurance, you are also entitled to a widower's pension from their pension fund. If you were not married, at the time of your spouse's death, entitlement to survivors' benefits depends on the regulations of the deceased's pension fund. In addition, you must have been designated as the deceased's life partner and meet the conditions stipulated by their pension fund.
Registered partners have the same rights to a survivor's pension as married partners.
If one or both parents die before you turn 18 or while you are still in education or training, you are entitled to an OASI orphan's pension provided that your parent(s) had paid OASI contributions for at least one year prior to their death.
If your deceased parent had contributed to an occupational pension insurance, you are also entitled to a survivor's pension from that pension fund until 25. Benefits depend on the regulations of your deceased parent's/parents' occupational pension fund.

Benefits

Different benefits exist that offer financial support following the death of a spouse or parent.

OASI pensions

The OASI survivor's pension is only for the spouse, the registered partner and children of the deceased.

A surviving spouse's pension (widow's or widower's pension) is equivalent to 80% of the old-age pension which would have been paid out to the deceased.

An orphan's pension is equivalent to 40% of the old-age pension which would have been paid out to the deceased parent. If both parents are deceased, it is equivalent to 60%.

Leaflet OASI survivors' pensions

If you claim an OASI survivor's pension and your financial resources are very limited, you are entitled to supplementary benefits, provided that you meet certain conditions.

Pensions from pension fund

If the deceased had contributed to an occupational pension fund, you are entitled, as their surviving spouse, to:

a occupational pension (60% of the old-age pension or the full invalidity pension); or
a share of the deceased's retirement assets (equivalent to three annual pensions issued as a one-off cash payment.

If you are an orphan and meet the eligibility criteria, you are also entitled to a pension from the occupational pension insurance (20% of the invalidity pension or the old-age pension).

The amount of these benefits depends on the regulations of the deceased's pension fund but must satisfy the legal minimum.

Further informations: Survivors' benefits in occupational pension plans

If the deceased had paid into a private pension plan ('3rd pillar') account with a private insurer or a bank, check with the institution concerned regarding entitlement to these assets. If the person had not named a beneficiary prior to their death, the death benefit will be paid out in accordance with the beneficiary designation rules for private pension plans. Please note that holders of a private pension plan have a limited say on who should inherit their private pension assets.