BBZ
Belgian survivor pension
In Belgium, survivor pension is called Overlevingspensioen. If you pass away, your partner can get this pension. If your partner lives in the Netherlands, he or she must claim this pension via the SVB.
When can your partner get a survivor pension?
Your partner will get a survivor pension if he or she was married to you and:
- is 45 or over, or
- is at least 66% incapacitated for work, or
- is raising a child.
If your partner does not meet the second and third condition, he or she can only get a survivor pension from the age of 45. In some cases, however, your partner could get a temporary survivor pension for up to 12 months.
The amount of the survivor pension
The amount of the survivor pension is based on the number of years the deceased was insured. There are 2 possible situations:
- The deceased was receiving an old age pension (rustpensioen) when he or she passed away. In this case the surviving partner will receive 80% of the old age pension as a survivor pension.
- The deceased was not receiving an old age pension when he or she passed away. In this case, the surviving partner will get 80% of the old age pension the deceased would have received if he or she had reached the pensionable age on the date of death.
Holiday allowance
Your partner will receive holiday allowance as from the second year in which he or she receives a survivor pension. Holiday allowance is paid in May, provided a survivor pension is also payable in that month. The holiday allowance is the same amount as one month's survivor pension. The maximum gross holiday allowance is € 591.75.
When will the survivor pension stop?
The survivor pension will stop if the surviving partner is still under 45 and no longer raises any children or is no longer incapacitated for work. The pension will also stop in the following situations:
- the surviving partner remarries;
- the surviving partner starts earning above a certain limit;
- the surviving partner starts receiving a statutory old age pension of his or her own.
