Survivors' pension in the new pension scheme

If you as an active member die before the retirement date, a lifelong survivor's pension of 35% of the pension base has been arranged for your partner. You no longer accrue a survivor's pension (you do now), as it is a 'risk insurance'. That is why the coverage of the survivor's pension in principle stops when you leave employment. However, the legislator has chosen to continue the coverage for the first 3 months after leaving employment. This period is shorter if you start with a new employer. If you do not have a new employer after 3 months and are entitled to unemployment benefits, the insurance will be continued for longer. This continued free coverage of the survivor's pension also applies as long as you receive a ZW benefit. You also have the option to continue the coverage (temporarily) at your own expense under certain conditions.

When you retire, you choose the desired level of the survivor's pension with your personal pension assets. By default, a survivor's pension equal to 70% of the retirement pension is purchased.
If you choose not to purchase a survivor's pension or a lower survivor's pension, your partner must sign for this. If you die before your partner, your surviving partner will receive a lower or no survivor's pension from the Fund.

After your employment ends, your survivor’s pension insurance with your former employer will continue for 3 more months. This period is shorter if you start with a new employer. If you do not have a new employer after 3 months and are entitled to unemployment benefits, the insurance will be continued for longer. If your unemployment benefits stop or if you do not have a new employer for other reasons, for example if you become self-employed, you have the option to remain insured for the survivor's pension on a voluntary basis. The premium for this is then taken from your personal pension capital. You do not have to pay any premium for the first 3 months, or as long as you receive unemployment benefits. The continued free coverage of the survivor's pension also applies as long as you receive a ZW benefit.

The coverage of the survivor's pension stops automatically when you leave employment. There is a standard 3-month extension coverage to prevent the immediate loss of coverage after your termination of employment. This period is longer if you fall under the WW or ZW and shorter if you start working for a new employer. If you do not have a new employer after the standard extension period, you can continue the survivor's pension voluntarily. Any coverage after termination of employment is equal to the coverage that was insured just before your termination of employment. This applies to both the standard extension coverage and to voluntary continuation.

As soon as you retire the risk insurance covering the survivor’s pension will stop. You may then decide whether you wish to use your personal pension capital to purchase a survivor’s pension as well. If you choose not to purchase a survivor's pension or a lower survivor's pension, your partner must sign for this. If you die before your partner, your surviving partner will receive a lower or no survivor's pension from the Fund.

As long as you have an employment contract, your survivor’s pension will automatically be insured. The premium for this is paid in full by the employer, in addition to the savings premium for the personal pension capital. You cannot opt out of this arrangement. This changes when you retire: you may then decide whether you want to use your personal pension capital to also purchase a survivor’s pension. If you choose not to purchase a survivor's pension or a lower survivor's pension, your partner must sign for this. If you die before your partner, your surviving partner will receive a lower or no survivor's pension from the Fund.

In the current pension scheme, in addition to a pension for yourself, you also accrue a survivor's pension for your partner and an orphan's pension for your children. These pensions will be retained when we switch to the new pension scheme. The amount that you have accrued on 1 January 2027 is the starting point for this. Your partner and children will receive the accrued amount in the event of your death before your retirement.

How does this work in relation to your personal pension capital?
When switching to the new pension scheme, we determine the value of the accrued survivor's and orphan's pension on your retirement date. This value is added to your personal pension capital. At the time of the transition to the new pension scheme, the value of these pensions is higher than on your retirement date. We use the difference between them to finance the survivor's and orphan's pension for participants who die before retirement.

The amount of the survivor's pension that you have accrued on 1 January 2027 may differ from 70% of your retirement pension. The amount may differ for the following reasons:

• Pension schemes that applied to you in the past:
  In the past, pension schemes have applied in which the survivor's pension was 65% or 75% of the retirement pension.
• Choices that you made upon retirement:
  Prior to your retirement, you and your partner could have chosen a certain amount of the survivor's pension. You could have chosen to exchange the survivor's pension in whole or in part for a higher retirement  pension. If you have chosen to do so, you now have less or no survivor's pension for your partner.
• End of relationship:
  If the relationship between you and your partner ends, your ex-partner is entitled to a survivor's pension. We call this the 'special survivor's pension'. Your ex-partner will receive this special survivor's pension in the event of your death. This special survivor's pension is then deducted from the survivor's pension for a possible new partner.
  
   

As long as your pension accrual (premium-free) continues due to disability, a lifelong survivor's pension of 35% of the pensionable salary is arranged for your partner, just like for other active members. The pensionable salary is based on the situation before you became disabled.

If you start working part-time, you will receive a part-time salary. We base the insurance for the survivor's pension on your part-time pensionable salary. This means that the amount of the survivor's pension for your partner will be lower as a result. It is not possible to continue the risk insurance based on your higher pensionable salary.