Survivor’s pension
The survivors’ pensions are paid to persons who have lost a spouse, former spouse or parent (father/mother). Entitlement to a survivor’s pension starts on the first day of the month following the death.
General conditions of eligibility for receiving a survivor’s pension:
An OASI survivor’s pension is payable if:
- The deceased has paid contributions for at least one year, or
- The deceased qualifies for one year of parental or care credits, or
- The deceased’s spouse has paid at least twice the minimum contribution.
Widow’s pension
Conditions for a married woman:
- you have a child (minor and/or adult) at the time of being widowed or
- you are at least 45 years old at the time of your spouse’s death and you have been married for at least 5 years. If you have been married more than once, the years of marriage will be added together
Conditions for a divorced woman:
- you have a child (minor and/or adult) and the marriage lasted for at least 10 years or
- you were over the age of 45 at the time of the divorce and the marriage lasted for at least 10 years or
- you are over the age of 45 when the youngest child turns 18 or
- if you have a minor child, you are entitled to the pension until the youngest child reaches the age of 18
If you remarry, you are no longer entitled to a widow’s pension.
Widower’s pension
Conditions for a married man:
- widowhood occurred after 11 October 2022 and you have a child who is minor and/or adult at the time of widowhood
- widowhood occurred before 11 October 2022 and you have a child who was under the age of 18 on 11 October 2022
Condition for a divorced man:
- see this page of the OFAS (in French) Rentes de veuf de l’AVS : arrêt de la CEDH
If you remarry, you are no longer entitled to a widower’s pension.
Orphan’s pension
Conditions for an orphan's pension:
- the deceased parent paid OASI contributions for at least one year
- the child is under the age of 18
- the child is between 18 and 25 and in training, studying or doing an apprenticeship
Calculation bases
The survivor’s pension is calculated on the basis of the following elements of the deceased:
- the contribution years which can be taken into account
- the income from gainful employment
- the parenting or care credits
If you qualify for a survivor's pension, you are entitled to a full pension if the deceased fulfilled their obligation to contribute without gaps between the 1st January following his 20th birthday and his death.
If the contribution period is incomplete, you will receive a partial pension.
Widowhood supplement
If you are already receiving an old-age or disability pension when your spouse dies, you will receive a 20% supplement on your AVS/AI pension in the event of widowhood. However, the supplement is only paid up to the amount of the maximum old-age pension.
Request for a survivors’ pension
Request for a survivors’ pension