No family is immune to the loss of one of its members, and this loss can fall on those who contribute most to the economic stability of the household. To protect families in this situation, Social Security provides a survivor pension. What is a survivor’s pension? According to him, the death pension is a monthly benefit paid by Social Security to people who were financially dependent on a deceased relative. This support is intended to compensate for the loss of income resulting from the death.
Who is entitled to the survivor’s pension?
For family members to receive this support, the deceased person must have fulfilled the guarantee period. This means having registered, on the date of death, at least:
- 36 months of contributions for the general Social Security regime; or
- 72 months of contributions in the Voluntary Social Security scheme.
Who can benefit from the survivor’s pension?
Immediate relatives, such as spouse, ex-spouse, partner, descendants or ascendants, may be eligible, but must meet specific conditions.
Spouse
- The marriage must be more than one year old on the date of death, except in cases of:
- There are children in common (even unborn);
- The death resulted from an accident or illness contracted after marriage.
Ex-spouse
- You are entitled to alimony if you received court-ordered alimony or, because of the deceased’s financial incapacity, it was ordered but not paid.
United in fact
- The stable union must last more than two years and be equivalent to a marital relationship.
Descendants
- They include children (born or unborn), fully adopted children and stepchildren dependent on the deceased.
- They receive it until the age of 18 or, if they are studying, until the age of 25 or 27, depending on the level of education.
- Descendants with disabilities can receive the pension for life.
Ascendants
- They are only entitled if there are no other eligible family members and if they lived in common living and living with the deceased.
- They cannot have an income greater than the social pension (or double it, if they are a couple).
What is the provisional survivor pension?
This is temporary support, granted only to family members without income from work or other social benefits, as long as they meet the survivors’ pension requirements.
Accumulation with other support
The survivor’s pension can accumulate with:
- Old-age or disability pension under the contributory scheme;
- Survivors’ pension from Caixa Geral de Aposentações;
- Support allowance for the main informal caregiver;
- Survivor’s pension paid to another parent or ascendant.
Cannot accumulate with:
- Pension for disability or old age;
- Pension due to an accident at work or occupational illness, except when the amount exceeds;
- Compensation from third parties (e.g.: road accidents), being suspended until the amount received is exhausted.
How to apply?
The order is made through Application for Death Benefits (Mod. RP5075-DGSS)accompanied by specific documentation.
- Deadline to request: up to five years after death.
- Concession period: about 50 days.
If the request is submitted within six months after death, the pension is paid from the month following death. After this period, it is paid from the month following the application.
Duration of support
Spouse, ex-spouse or civil partner
- Under 35 years old: up to five years or as long as you have eligible dependents.
- Over 35 years old or totally disabled: lifetime.
- A new marital relationship ceases to be formalized.
Descendants
- Up to 18 years of age, or more, if they continue their studies.
- Lifetime in case of total incapacity.
How much do you receive?
The value depends on the amount of old-age or disability pension to which the deceased was entitled, being distributed in percentages:
- Spouse/ex-spouse/de facto partner: 60% (or 70% if there is more than one).
- Descendants: 20% for one, 30% for two, 40% for three. Without a spouse, the percentages double.
- Ascendants: 30% for one, 50% for two, 80% for three.
In the months of July and December, holiday and Christmas subsidies are paid, corresponding to an additional monthly payment. This support ensures financial protection for families, providing greater stability at a difficult time.
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