Orphan's pension

General information

Orphans' pensions are the so-called survivors' pensions and are granted to orphaned dependent children.

Conditions for entitlement

An orphan, if he/she is a dependent child, is always entitled to an orphan's pension after the deceased parent (custodian/caregiver) who has received an old-age or disability pension or who died as a result of an accident at work. For the orphan’s pension to arise in other instances, the deceased person must have accumulated the prescribed pension insurance period, which is dependent on the age of the parent:

• in case of a person older than 28 years, the period of pension insurance shall be at least one year in the period of last 10 years preceding the date of death;

• in case of a person older than 38 years, the period of pension insurance shall be two years in the period of last 20 years preceding the date of death.

However, the insurance period of the deceased parent shall not include the periods treated as insurance periods, that is to say, these must be periods when the insurance was paid, i.e. the period of gainful activity for which an income which is subject to payments of social security premiums (pension insurance) are paid.

The entitlement to orphan's pension shall not arise after a foster parent.

A dependent child is a child until the end of his/her compulsory education and then, up to a maximum age of 26 years, if he/she prepares systematically for future occupation or, in simple terms, he/she is unable to prepare for a future occupation or to pursue a gainful activity for health reasons (for illness or injury). Following the completion of the compulsory education, a child who is registered as a job-seeker and who is not entitled to unemployment benefit or retraining support shall be considered a dependent child up to the age of 18 years.

A dependent child is not a child who is a beneficiary of a third degree disability pension.