When calculating the survivor and orphan pension in Bağ-Kur, the circumstances of both the entitled beneficiaries and the deceased insured person are taken into account. The basic framework for calculating the widow/widower and orphan pension is as follows:
- Fifty percent of the deceased insured person’s pension is allocated to the spouse.
- If the deceased insured had no children, seventy-five percent of the pension is allocated to the spouse.
- If the deceased insured had one child, twenty-five percent of the pension is allocated to that child.
- Each child of the deceased receives a pension equivalent to twenty-five percent of the deceased’s pension.
- Because the orphan pension per child and the widow(er) pension for the spouse cannot exceed the deceased insured’s pension, these payments are distributed with certain reductions applied.
- If both parents are deceased, the child receives fifty percent of the pension.
- An amount equal to ninety percent of the deceased insured’s retirement pension is distributed among relatives as survivor payments. This amount is split into two shares for the spouse and one share for each child.
As of January, survivor and orphan pensions were increased. The orphan pension rose by 18 TL and the widow(er) pension by 36 TL. With this adjustment, the orphan pension became 293 TL and the widow(er) pension 587 TL.
Who Is Eligible for an Orphan Pension?
The groups eligible for orphan pension include the following:
- Sons can receive the orphan pension until age 18 if they are not in education,
- Sons can receive it until age 20 if they are in secondary education,
- Sons can receive it until age 25 if they are in higher education,
- Sons over 25 years old are not eligible for the orphan pension,
- Daughters can receive the orphan pension as long as they are unmarried and not employed in a job with social insurance coverage.
How to Apply for an Orphan Pension?
To apply for the orphan pension, you can visit your provincial or district Social Security (SGK) directorate or submit your application online via the e-Government portal (e-Devlet). If you do not have an e-Government password, you can obtain one from PTT branches. If you forgot your password, you can renew it at PTT branches or by using the “Forgot My Password” option on the e-Government login page.
How to Apply for the Orphan Pension Through the e-Government Portal
To submit an orphan pension request via e-Government, follow these steps:
- Log in to https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/ with your T.C. identity number and password.
- From the “e-Services” menu, open the “Social Security and Insurance” section.
- Click on the “Death Benefit and Widow/Orphan Pension Request” service.
- Enter the T.C. identity number of your deceased relative on the opened page.
- Press the “Apply” button.
What Documents Are Required for the Orphan Pension?
The documents needed to apply for the orphan pension are listed below:
- 3 passport-size photos,
- Application petition,
- Official family registry (vukuatlı nüfus kayıt örneği),
- Death certificate of the deceased insured,
- Student certificate for male children who are students,
- Identity verification document.
After preparing these documents, you can submit your orphan pension application to the Social Security Institution.
Can a Divorced Woman Receive an Orphan Pension?
Divorced women can benefit from the orphan/widow pension provided they meet the following conditions:
- The woman is not employed,
- She has no social insurance coverage,
- She is not a civil servant or retired,
- She has not remarried after the divorce,
- She is not receiving social assistance from institutions or foundations.
Where Can You Check the Status of a Survivor or Orphan Pension Application?
To inquire about the status of your survivor or orphan pension application, you should contact the SGK provincial or district directorate where you applied. You can learn all details regarding your application from the SGK offices.
What Documents Are Required for a Widow(er) Pension?
The documents required to receive a widow(er) pension include the following:
- Application petition,
- Original and notarized copy of the certificate of inheritance (veraset ilamı),
- Official family registry (vukuatlı nüfus kayıt örneği),
- The deceased spouse’s T.C. identity card and two passport-size photos,
- Retirement pension system participation form,
- Poverty/neediness certificate (muhtaç belgesi).
What Are the Conditions for the Widow(er) Pension?
The conditions to apply for a widow(er) pension are as follows:
- The deceased spouse must have been insured for at least five years,
- The deceased must have paid at least 9,000 days of premium contributions,
- The deceased must not have outstanding premium debt.
Why Would a Widow(er) Pension Be Suspended?
Reasons for suspension of the widow(er) pension include:
- The receiving spouse remarries or starts employment,
- An event occurs that eliminates the claimant’s neediness,
- If the deceased spouse, even if not married, begins living with another person, the pension may be suspended.
Suspension of the widow(er) pension occurs only for definite reasons. The institution periodically checks the status of pension recipients. If no adverse findings are detected after these checks, the pension payments continue.
How to Apply for the Widow(er) Pension?
To apply for the widow(er) pension, submit your request to the Social Security Institution office in the province where you reside. Bring the required documents to the responsible officers. A “Widow(er) Pension Application Petition Form” will be filled out during the process, and once all documents are submitted and verified, your application is completed.
How to Obtain the Family Registry Document for a Widow(er) Pension Application?
The family registry document required for a widow(er) pension should be requested from the Population Directorate (Nüfus Müdürlüğü) in the applicant’s district. The family registry document must be obtained with an original wet signature and official stamp. To be accepted for the widow(er) pension application, the document must be the stamped, wet-signed original.
How to Obtain the Neediness Certificate for a Widow(er) Pension?
The neediness (muhtaçlık) certificate required for the widow(er) pension is issued by the neighborhood headman’s office (muhtarlık) where the applicant resides. Holders of a valid neediness certificate may be eligible for the widow(er) pension. The applicant goes to the local muhtarlık with their T.C. identity card and requests the certificate. A “Neediness Certificate Application Form” is filled out and submitted to the authorized official. If the applicant has no social insurance and no registered immovable property under their name, muhtarlık offices typically issue the neediness certificate.
How to Obtain the Identity Information Form for a Widow(er) Pension?
To obtain the identity information form required for a widow(er) pension application, the applicant should apply to the Population Directorate. Bring your T.C. identity card to the Population Directorate serving your residence and request the identity information form. After verification, the form will be issued to you.
How Are Widow(er) Pension Payments Collected from the Bank?
To collect widow(er) pension payments from a bank, follow these steps:
- Visit the nearest Ziraat Bank or Halkbank branch in your place of residence,
- Take a queue number for teller services,
- When your turn arrives, present your T.C. identity card to the teller,
- The teller verifies the identity information,
- After confirmation, the widow(er) pension amount is paid to you in cash.
When Does the Widow(er) and Orphan Pension Begin?
The start date for the widow(er) and orphan pension is the first day of the month following the month in which the insured person died, provided your application is approved. You can receive your widow(er) and orphan pension in the month after you apply. If the insured person has outstanding premium debt, the debt must be paid in full for the pension to be granted.