If your ex-partner has died
If your ex-partner has died, you can qualify for an Anw survivor benefit providing you meet the conditions under the Anw scheme.
What are the conditions for an Anw survivor benefit?
As long as you have not yet reached your AOW pension age, you can qualify for an Anw survivor benefit if, on the date your ex-partner died as well as on the date of divorce:
- you were caring for your own child, foster child or stepchild who was younger than 18 years old and living with you, or,
- you were at least 45% incapacitated for work
The Dutch Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) will assess whether you are at least 45% incapacitated for work, also if you live outside the Netherlands. In that case, the UWV will contact the social security organisation in your country.
In addition, on the date of death, your ex-partner must have been:
- insured under the Anw scheme
- obliged to pay maintenance for a spouse or partner. It does not matter whether or not you received any maintenance payments.
Your Anw survivor benefit will stop if you no longer meet the qualifying conditions or when you reach your AOW pension age.
Extra conditions concerning living or working outside the Netherlands
Additional conditions apply if you live or work outside the Netherlands. Choose the option that best describes your situation.
If you live in the Netherlands or a member state of the EU (European Union), EEA (European Economic Area) or in a treaty country, you can get an Anw survivor benefit if:
- on the date of death, your ex-partner was insured under a state survivor benefit scheme in the country where you live, or
- you qualified for a state survivor benefit from an EU or EEA country or Switzerland after your ex-partner’s death
The amount of your Anw survivor benefit depends on the number of years your ex-partner worked in the Netherlands. The more years your ex-partner worked, the higher the amount of the Anw survivor benefit.
You can get an Anw survivor benefit if your ex-partner:
- lived or worked in the Netherlands in the past, and
- was insured on the date of death under a survivor benefit scheme in a member state of the EU (European Union), EEA (European Economic Area) or a treaty country
The amount of your Anw survivor benefit depends on the number of years your ex-partner worked in the Netherlands. The more years your ex-partner worked, the higher the amount of the Anw survivor benefit.
Anw survivor benefit never higher than maintenance payments
Your Anw survivor benefit cannot be higher than the amount your ex-partner was required to pay in maintenance. In fact, an Anw survivor benefit is never higher than the maximum Anw amount, even if the maintenance payments were higher.
Any other income you receive may be deducted from your Anw survivor benefit.