Hungary - Survivors' benefits
This chapter covers several benefits:
- Widow(er)’s pension (Özvegyi nyugdíj);
- Orphan’s allowance (Árvaellátás);
- Parental pension (Szülői nyugdíj).
In what situation can I claim?
The survivors of an insured person are entitled to survivors’ benefits as long as the deceased had the necessary insurance period or had been receiving an old-age pension before death. A person who is found by the courts to have intentionally provoked the death of the insured is not entitled to a benefit. Survivors' pension benefits are paid to the widow/widower, orphans or parents of an insured person. Survivors' benefits are also paid if the death was due to a work accident or occupational disease.
What conditions do I need to meet?
Widow(er)’s pension (Özvegyi nyugdíj)
Persons eligible for a widow(er)'s pension (Özvegyi nyugdíj) are those whose spouse died as an old-age pensioner, or whose spouse:
- died before reaching age 22; and
- has accrued service period in the 180 days after finishing studies; or
- has accrued in total at least 2 years of service period;
- died between ages 22-25 and has accrued at least 4 years of service period;
- died between ages 25-30 and has accrued at least 6 years of service period;
- died between ages 30-35 and has accrued at least 8 years of service period;
- died between ages 35-45 and has accrued at least 10 years of service period;
- died after reaching age 45 and has accrued at least 15 years of service period.
Persons are also eligible if their deceased spouse has not accrued the above-mentioned service periods, but has accrued the required service period for a lower age cohort (listed above), provided that after that date until the date of death there has been no interruption longer than 30 days in his/her service period.
Temporary and permanent widow(er)'s pension:
Temporary widow(er)’s pension is due for 1 year or for a maximum of 3 years if the widow(er) cares for a disabled or permanently ill orphan.
Temporary widow(er)’s pension is converted into permanent pension if the spouse:
- is above his/her relevant retirement age; or
- is deemed to be a person with changed working capacity; or
- has at least two minor children (who are entitled to orphan's allowance) from the deceased or cares for one orphan, who is regarded as disabled or permanently ill (and who is entitled to orphan's benefit).
Orphan’s allowance (Árvaellátás)
Any child, including a child of an earlier marriage or cohabitation, who is raised in the same household in the framework of a marriage or cohabitation, is entitled to an orphan’s allowance. An adopted child is not entitled to an allowance from the death of his/her biological parent unless he/she has been adopted by his/her biological parent’s spouse.
This allowance is also due to the brothers and sisters, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren who have lived with the deceased in the same household when there is no one in their family who is obliged and able to look after them.
Parental pension (Szülői nyugdíj)
A dependent parent’s pension will be paid to any person whose deceased child was an old-age or invalidity pensioner at the time of his/her death, or was entitled to either of those pensions if, at the time of his/her death, the parent is disabled or elderly (65 or over) and had been substantially dependent on the child during the last year of the latter’s life.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Widow(er)’s pension (Özvegyi nyugdíj)
A temporary widow(er)’s pension is usually granted for a period of 1 year from the date of death of the spouse. It is granted to the widow(er) if he/she cares for a child who is under 18 months old (or 3 years old if the child is disabled).
Once this period has expired, a permanent widow’s pension is due if the person has reached the age of entitlement to the old-age pension (i.e. retirement age); or is considered to be a person with changed working capacity; or looks after at least 2 orphans (or an orphan with disability or permanent illness) who are the children of the deceased and living in the same household. This permanent pension is also due if one of the above situations occurs within 10 years from the death of the deceased person.
The temporary widow’s pension is 60% of the amount of the pension the deceased was receiving or would have been entitled to. The permanent widow’s pension is also 60% if she has no pension in her own right; otherwise it is 30% of the deceased person's pension.
If there is more than one beneficiary, the widow’s pension is shared equally among them. There is no statutory minimum pension.
Orphan’s allowance (Árvaellátás)
The orphan’s allowance is paid until the beneficiary reaches the age of 16 or has completed full-time education, to a maximum age of 25 (or 27 upon exceptional circumstances). If the child becomes disabled while still entitled to this pension, he or she retains this right for as long as he or she remains disabled, regardless of his or her age.
A child whose parent had fulfilled the service period required for widow(er)'s pension before his/her death, or died as an old-age pensioner, is eligible.
An Exceptional orphan’s allowance (kivételes árvaellátás) can be awarded upon certain conditions, e.g. when the deceased person does not fully fulfil the eligibility criteria.
The orphan’s allowance is 30% of the deceased person's pension, and 60% if both parents are deceased or if the surviving parent is disabled. This benefit cannot be less than HUF 50,000 per month. A child who is entitled to a pension from the right of both parents will be granted the more generous of the two.
Parental pension (Szülői nyugdíj)
The parental pension is calculated in the same way as the widow’s pension on the same conditions (60% or 30%). If there is more than one beneficiary, the pension must be shared equally among them. There is no statutory minimum pension.
Forms you may need to fill in
Survivor’s benefits have to be applied for using a standard form. Application forms can be downloaded from https://magyarorszag.hu/szuf_szolg_lista?kategoria=NYU or picked up from any pension client service.
In international cases you must submit your application to the Government Office of the Capital City of Budapest (Budapest Főváros Kormányhivatala).
Know your rights
European Commission publication and website:
Who do you need to contact?
Government Office of the Capital City of Budapest
Budapest Főváros Kormányhivatala
Budapest
Fiumei út 19/A
1081 MAGYARORSZÁG/HUNGARY
postal address: 1916 Budapest