With the death of a family member, in addition to the emotional loss, there is often a loss of income in the household. To minimize the financial impact resulting from the death of a close being, there are social benefitssuch as the widow’s pension. In this article, we cover the steps to take to get this support.
What is a widow’s pension and who is it for?
The widow’s pension is a cash benefit provided by Social Security, to the widower, or to the person who lived in de facto union with the deceased beneficiary of social benefit.The monthly installment amount is 128.35 euros, which corresponds to 60% of the social benefit that currently has a value of 213.91 euros. The pension is paid by bank transfer. Read also: Benefits for the death of a family member or friend: What support can I receive?
What are the conditions for obtaining a widow’s pension?
In order to qualify for the widow’s pension, you must meet the following requirements:Having Portuguese nationality or being in conditions of equal treatment with Portuguese citizens;Residing in Portugal;Not benefiting from any pension in their own right;Having gross social income equal to or less than 177.28 euros (40% of the Social Support Index , which currently has a value of 443.20 euros). It is, however, possible to accumulate this support with the following benefits; Social pension, provided that the amount does not exceed 278.05 euros, which is equivalent to the minimum pension value of the general regime; Dependency supplement; Social insertion income; Solidarity supplement for the elderly; Support allowance for the main informal caregiver.
What is the duration of the widow’s pension?
If you apply for a widow’s pension within six months of the month following the death of your spouse, you are entitled to receive the benefit from the month following the month of death. However, if you submit the application after that period, that is, more than six months after the death, only receive this pension from the month following the submission of the application.The benefit ends on the death of the beneficiary. or case fails to meet the requirements for its assignment.Attention, you must always inform Social Security if there is any change in your situation, namely marital status, address and/or earned income. This communication must be made by the end of the month following the month in which the changes occurred, otherwise a sanction will be applied. The fine can range from 49.88 euros to 174.58 euros.You are also subject to a fine, which can range from 74.82 euros to 249.40 euros, if you make false statements. Read also: Bureaucracies after the death of a family member
What can I do to get a widow’s pension?
To apply for a widow’s pension, you must submit an application (Mod.RP5018-DGSS) to the Social Security. You can get the form online. Just go to the Social Security page and select the “Related Documentation” option. To apply for a widow’s pension must submit the following documents:Identification document (citizen card, identity card or passport); Taxpayer card (if you do not have a citizen card); Registration card in any other social protection system of which you are a beneficiary (in Portugal or in another country); Birth certificate of the deceased, with death certificate; Proof of residence in Portugal (for foreigners); IRS declaration; Proof of your assets indicated on the form, for example, the land book in the case of real estate; Proof of IBAN.
Other support in case of death
In the event of death, there are other benefits, which must also be requested from Social Security, aimed at helping the other members of the household, such as, for example, survivor’s pension and the orphan’s pension.The survivor’s pension is awarded to the following persons: spouses (if they do not have children, as long as they have been married for more than one year), ex-spouses (provided they receive alimony), de facto partners, ascendants and descendants. orphanage is assigned to children and youth (under the age of 18) orphans of persons not covered by any social protection scheme.Read also: Life insurance: How to apply in case of death
A professional writer by day, a tech-nerd by night, with a love for all things money.