Widow(er)’s pension is a benefit paid by the Social Security Institution to the survivors when an insured spouse dies. The pension can be granted to both men and women. The conditions required for the deceased insured’s spouse to receive a widow(er)’s pension are as follows:
- At the time of death, the insured must have been legally married to the spouse for a pension to be granted to the surviving partner.
- If there are no children receiving a pension, the surviving spouse is generally entitled to 50% of the deceased’s pension; if the surviving spouse does not work under the law or abroad, different rates may apply.
- If the surviving spouse does not receive any other pension or benefit from the deceased’s insurance, a pension equal to 75% of the deceased’s entitlement may be granted.
What Are the Conditions to Qualify for a Death Pension?
Eligibility conditions for a death pension include the following:
- At least 1,800 days of contributions paid for disability, old-age and death insurance, or
- For those insured under 4/1-(a), being insured for at least 5 years (excluding all credited periods) and having a total of 900 days of contributions for disability, old-age and death insurance,
- Those who were receiving disability, duty-related disability or old-age pension at the time of death, or who had already qualified for such a pension but whose procedures were not completed,
- If a previously granted disability, duty-related disability or old-age pension was suspended because the person began working as an insured, and the person dies in that status, a death pension may be granted to entitled beneficiaries upon written request,
- For 4/1-(a) insured persons, all creditable periods except for the specific conditions foreseen for those insured under 4/1-(a) are not taken into account when determining the 5-year and 900-day contribution conditions; therefore, certain buy-back periods do not count toward meeting these conditions,
- For insured persons who died before 1/10/2008, all credited periods are considered in the 900-day calculation. In addition, for self-employed insured persons (under Article 4(b) of Law 5510), beneficiaries can receive a death pension only if the deceased’s premiums and any debts related to premiums, including general health insurance contributions, have been paid.
What Documents Are Required to Apply for a Death Pension?
The documents required for a death pension application are listed below:
- An official population registry record (vukuatlı nüfus kayıt örneği) of the applicant from the relevant Population Directorate. For orphans left widowed by the spouse’s death, the population registry records of the spouse and the parent registered with the relevant population administration should be provided,
- An identity inquiry document completed in accordance with the population registry record (all fields must be filled in clearly without crossing out or leaving blanks),
- A petition requesting the death pension,
- A notarized certificate of inheritance (veraset ilamı),
- A declaration and undertaking form for beneficiaries,
- Income documentation for any spouse or children who are working,
- A document from e-Government proving that the applicant is uninsured,
- The account number of the T.C. Ziraat Bankası account opened for pension payments,
- An original certified enrollment certificate from the educational institution for male orphans who are between 18 and 25 and continuing education,
- Three passport-size photos of each person for whom a pension is requested,
- Return of any special documents and health cards belonging to retirees who died while retired,
- For male orphans who have reached 18 and are not continuing education: for secondary education up to age 20 and higher education up to age 25; for disabled orphans a full-report health board document from a fully equipped state hospital with photo and approval; if a guardian or trustee is appointed, the guardianship or trusteeship decision must also be submitted,
- For those in the same situation, a poverty certificate issued by the provincial or district administrative board and a property declaration approved by the neighborhood headman (muhtar) must be provided,
- If the deceased has a disabled child, an original health report approved by the institution’s medical board showing a loss of working capacity of at least 60% must be submitted,
- Original documents or certified copies approved by the relevant authorities (originals required where specified),
- If the deceased’s mother is applying and she is single, widowed or divorced, she must submit her population registry record, identity inquiry document, three photos and the originals or certified copies of the documents listed above,
- If the deceased’s father is applying for a pension, he must submit the population registry record, identity inquiry document, three photos and originals or certified copies of the required documents. If the father is under 65, an original health board report from a fully equipped state hospital stating whether he can earn a living by working is also required.
How to Apply for a Widow(er)’s Pension?
Applications for widow(er)’s pension can be made in two ways. The in-person application process at the Social Security Institution typically follows these steps:
- The applicant goes to the Social Security Institution office in their province of residence.
- The applicant provides required documents to the institution staff, such as identity card, identity inquiry document, Ziraat Bank account number, death certificate of the deceased spouse, two passport photos, certificate of inheritance, and population registry record.
- The applicant fills out and signs the petition for requesting the widow(er)’s pension.
- The institution records the application and initiates the approval process. The applicant can learn the application outcome from PTT branches. The PTT office in the applicant’s province provides information about whether the pension request was approved or rejected.
Another method is to apply via the e-Government (E-Devlet) system. To apply online, the applicant needs an e-Government password obtained from a PTT branch. Since 2021, and particularly due to COVID-19 conditions, death pension applications have been accepted through the e-Government portal. The information required for an e-Government application includes:
- The applicant’s Turkish ID number (T.C. identity number),
- An e-Government password,
- The deceased person’s Turkish ID number.
After logging in with the e-Government password, the Social Security Institution service “Death Benefit and Widow(er) / Orphan Pension Request” can be used to submit an application using the deceased spouse’s, child’s, mother’s or father’s national ID number.
After a death pension is granted, secondary procedures should be carried out at the Retirement Services General Directorate, Directorate of Pensions for Independently and Contractually Employed Workers.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR WIDOW(ER)’S PENSION
What Were the 2021 Death Pension Rates?
The amount of the 2021 death pension varies according to whether the beneficiary is a spouse, child, mother or father and depends on factors such as number of children, whether the surviving spouse works, and remarriage. The allocation shares are determined by these circumstances.
Death pension shares were as follows:
- The surviving spouse receives 50% of the deceased’s pension,
- A surviving spouse without children who is working receives 50% of the pension,
- A surviving spouse without children who is not working receives 75% of the pension,
- If there is a surviving spouse and one non-working child: 60% to the spouse and 30% to the child,
- If there is a surviving spouse and two non-working children: 50% to the spouse and 25% to each child,
- Each unmarried daughter of the deceased is entitled to 25% of the pension, including cases where a pension is allocated to a surviving daughter from her deceased father,
- If there is only one daughter of the deceased, she receives 50% of the pension,
- For a deceased person’s parents to receive a pension, several conditions are evaluated: parents must be over 65, not receiving any pension from another institution and not working. If these criteria are met, 25% of the pension may be granted to the parents.
- For example: if the deceased’s pension was 1,500 TL, a 75% share would be 1,125 TL, a 50% share would be 750 TL, and a 25% child share would be 375 TL.
How Much Was the Widow(er)’s Pension in 2021?
The 2021 minimum amounts for widow(er)’s pensions are adjusted each January and July by the Social Security Institution (SGK). The minimum pension amounts granted to beneficiaries vary depending on the insured’s employment period and the date of death. There is a significant difference between minimum pensions for those who started working after 2000 and died after 2008 compared to those who began work before 2000.
For pensions or income granted before October 2008 and for those who died after October 2008 while receiving disability or old-age pensions granted before that date, minimum pension amounts are calculated based on a reference lower-limit pension. For example, if the insured’s lower-limit pension is 2,326.70 TL, then 80% equals 1,944.11 TL, 60% equals 1,423.64 TL, 45% equals 1,067.85 TL, and 30% equals 711.85 TL.
For those who died while working after October 2008 or who were receiving disability or old-age pensions after that date, the amounts payable to beneficiaries cannot be less than the amounts based on the insured’s lower-limit pension. With the same lower-limit pension of 2,326.70 TL, the corresponding shares are as above.
For insured persons with service only after 2000 and who died after October 2008, minimum pensions for beneficiaries are calculated on a lower reference value. For example, if the insured’s lower-limit pension is 1,434.53 TL, then 80% equals 1,147.61 TL, 60% equals 860.66 TL, 45% equals 645.57 TL, and 30% equals 430.37 TL.
For insured persons who died before October 2008, the minimum death benefit under work accident and occupational disease insurance is calculated on a different reference lower-limit pension. If that lower-limit is 1,252.13 TL, then 80% equals 1,001.70 TL, 60% equals 751.28 TL, 45% equals 563.46 TL and 30% equals 375.64 TL.
What Are the Benefits of the Widow(er)’s Pension?
The advantages of the widow(er)’s pension include:
- Opportunity to benefit from dual pension or dual retirement arrangements in some cases,
- The ability to provide benefits for children who are eligible under the widow(er)’s pension,
- For working individuals, an additional payment based on the deceased spouse’s pension every two months in certain circumstances,
- Financial relief for families that relied on the deceased spouse’s income to meet household needs,
- A safety net for non-insured and non-working surviving spouses, who can receive benefits based on the deceased insured’s pension.
What Are the Conditions for an Orphan’s Pension?
Conditions to receive an orphan’s pension differ for daughters, sons and disabled children.
Conditions for male children to receive a death pension:
- If they are in higher education, they must not have reached 25 years of age,
- If they are in secondary education, they must not have reached 20 years of age,
- If they are not enrolled in any educational institution, they must be under 18 years of age,
- They must not be working abroad,
- They must not have income or pensions from their own insurance.
Conditions for a daughter to receive a death pension:
- She must not be working abroad,
- She must not have income or pension rights from her own insurance,
- She must be unmarried, or if she was married, she must be divorced.
Conditions for disabled children to receive a death pension:
- An approved health board report from the institution’s medical board proving at least a 60% loss of working capacity,
- They must not be working in any insured job.
Disabled children receive a death pension regardless of age, gender or marital status.
How Much Is the Orphan’s Pension?
The amount of the orphan’s pension depends on the deceased parent’s pension amount and the number of siblings sharing the benefit.
Orphan’s pension amounts were as follows:
- When there is a surviving spouse and one non-working child, the shares are 60% to the spouse and 30% to the child. For a reference pension of 2,326 TL, the child would receive 697 TL; for 1,434 TL the child would receive 430 TL; for 1,252 TL the child would receive 375 TL.
- When there is a surviving spouse and two non-working children, the shares are 50% to the spouse and 25% to each child. For a reference pension of 2,326 TL each child would receive 581.50 TL; for 1,434 TL each child would receive 358.50 TL; for 1,252 TL each child would receive 313 TL.
- If the deceased has only one daughter, she receives 50% of the pension: for 2,326 TL she would receive 1,163 TL; for 1,434 TL she would receive 717 TL; for 1,252 TL she would receive 626 TL.
When Is the Orphan’s Pension Terminated?
Situations in which the orphan’s pension is cut include the following:
- Loss of Turkish citizenship (voluntary renunciation or revocation),
- The pension of a woman who remarries after the death of her spouse is not generally cut due to remarriage. If she becomes entitled to a death pension from a second spouse’s death as well, she must choose which pension to receive,
- Under Law No. 5434, pensioners granted a widow(er)’s pension who begin working under Law No. 5510 in statuses 4/1-a, 4/1-b or 4/1-c are not automatically cut off; however, the pension calculation and rates may change depending on the status in which they work.
How Can You Check Widow(er)’s and Orphan’s Pension Status?
There are three ways to check widow(er)’s and orphan’s pension status:
- Through the Family, Labor and Social Services Contact Center ALO 170,
- Via the e-Government system,
- At Social Security Institution branches.
For inquiries made through ALO 170, identity verification is required. Accurate and complete information such as the applicant’s T.C. identity number, the deceased’s date of death, the application date for the death pension, the application reference number, and the deceased’s T.C. identity number will facilitate the verification process.
To check widow(er)’s pension status via e-Government, first log in with your T.C. identity number and password. Then access the Social Security Institution services and select “Death Pension Inquiry” to see the results.