General conditions to qualify for survivor’s pension:
Family members may qualify for survivor’s pension in the following instances:
• If the deceased contributor had at least 5 contributory years or at least 10 working years (pension service), or
• If the deceased contributor had fulfilled the eligibility criteria for obtaining old age or disability benefit, or
• If the deceased contributor had been old age or disability pension beneficiary.
If the death of the contributor is a result of a workplace injury or professional illness, members of the family are eligible to receive pension regardless of the working years (pension service).
Survivor pension may be acquired by the following family members:
1) Spouse;
2) Children (born in matrimony or outside of matrimony, adoptee, foster children in the care of contributor, grandchildren and orphans in the care of contributor); and
3) Parents (father and mother, stepfather and stepmother), and adopter in the care of the contributor.
Divorced spouse may also acquire survivor pension, if alimony has been approved by way of court ruling.
Widow shall acquire the right to survivor pension in the following instances:
1) Having turned 50 years of age by the time of death of the spouse;
2) If incapable of work prior to the spouse’s death, or if such incapability occurred within one year following the spouses death;
3) If one or more children of the deceased spouse have acquired the right to survivors pension following his death, and the children are under parental care of the widow;
4) Having turned 45 years of age by the time of spouse’s death, after turning 50 years of age or if incapability of work occurred within the mentioned period.
Widower shall acquire the right to survivor pension in the following instances:
1) Having turned 50 years of age by the time of death of the spouse;
2) If incapable of work until the spouse’s time of death, or if such incapability occurred within one year from the spouses time of death;
3) If one or more children of the deceased spouse have acquired the right to survivors pension following her death, and the children are under parental care of the widower;
Child shall acquire the right to survivor pension in the following instances:
1) Up to 15 years of age, or up to 26 years of age if engaged in studies;
2) If incapable of work prior to the death of the contributor, i.e. pension beneficiary providing guardianship, or if such incapability occurred within one year after the time of death of the contributor, i.e., pension beneficiary.
Should schooling of the child be discontinued due to illness, child may acquire the right to survivor pension during the period of ailment up to the age of 26 years and over, which may not exceed the period of absence from regular education due to illness.
Child who has discontinued his schooling due to army service shall receive survivor pension during the service.
Should child become incapable of work when using the right to survivor pension, he shall retain the right to survivor pension permanently.
Disabled children shall be entitled to survivor pension after the termination of employment.
School child means a student in elementary school, high school, professional qualification; student at university and postgraduate studies till the student has a status of student, according the appropriate educational institution till the age of 26.