Survivor's pension in accordance with the Occupational Accident and Disease Act for Farmers

Who is eligible for a survivor’s pension?

You may receive a MATA survivor’s pension if your relationship to the deceased policyholder is one of the following:

• Spouse
• Child under the age of 18
• Child under the age of 25 who is a full-time student
• Child under the age of 25 with a work disability

If you are the common-law spouse of the deceased policyholder, you may receive a survivor’s pension if you have lived together in a household comparable to that of a married couple and you have one of the following:

• A child with the deceased policyholder
• A registered partnership agreement signed by a public notary

If you are the child of a spouse or common-law spouse, you may receive a survivor’s pension if you were living in the same household as the deceased policyholder and also supported by the deceased policyholder on condition that the spouse of the deceased policyholder is also awarded a survivor’s pension.

Amount of the survivor’s pension

The amount of the survivor’s pension is calculated according to the annual (MYEL) earnings of the deceased policyholder. The combined maximum amount of the survivor’s pensions of the spouse and children is 70 percent of the annual earnings of the deceased policy holder. Survivor’s pensions are subject to an annual index adjustment (increase).

Survivor’s pensions are paid monthly on the first banking day of each month.

Spouse’s pension

The amount of a spouse’s pension is calculated as follows:

• 40% of the annual earnings of the deceased policyholder if the spouse is the sole beneficiary
• 35% of the annual earnings of the deceased policyholder if the pension is paid to the spouse and 1 child
• 30% of the annual earnings of the deceased policyholder if the pension is paid to the spouse and 2 children
• 20% of the annual earnings of the deceased policyholder if the pension is paid to the spouse and 3 children
• 15% of the annual earnings of the deceased policyholder if the pension is paid to the spouse and 4 or more children

The amount of the spouse’s pension may be reduced by the spouse’s own annual earnings or pension income at the time of the policyholder’s death. This is called an earnings adjustment. The earnings adjustment reduces the amount of the pension no earlier than 13 months after the death of the policyholder.

If the survivor’s pension is also paid not only to the spouse but also to a child, the earnings adjustment is made only after the payment of the survivor’s pension has ended for each child. If a child later becomes eligible as a beneficiary again, for example after starting studies, the spouse’s pension will no longer change.

If the sum of the spouse’s and orphan’s pensions exceeds 70 percent of the policyholder’s annual earnings, the excess is deducted from the spouse’s pension.

The earnings adjustment takes into account the spouse’s earnings and pension income that were valid at the time of the policyholder’s death. Subsequent changes in income do not affect the amount of the pension. If the earnings adjustment reduces the amount of the pension, a new permanent decision will be issued at the start of the deduction.

Orphan’s pension

The amount of an orphan’s pension depends on the number of beneficiaries, as it is divided evenly among the children. The amount of an orphan’s pension is calculated as follows:

• 25% of the annual earnings of the deceased policyholder if the pension is paid to 1 child
• 40% of the annual earnings of the deceased policyholder if the pension is paid to 2 children
• 50% of the annual earnings of the deceased policyholder if the pension is paid to 3 children
• 55% of the annual earnings of the deceased policyholder if the pension is paid to 4 or more children.

Notify Mela of any changes in your circumstances

In accordance with the Occupational Accident and Disease Act, payment of a survivor’s pension shall be discontinued if the spouse remarries or becomes a common-law spouse in the following conditions:

• The new couple already has a child together
• The new couple has a new child together
• The new couple has a registered partnership agreement signed by a public notary

These changes must be notified to Mela without delay.

For children, entitlement to a survivor’s pension ends in the following conditions:

• When the child turns 18
• When a child who is a full-time student or has a work disability turns 25
• When a child under the age of 25 completes or interrupts their studies (e.g. due to military service)
• When the work disability of a child ends
• When the child is adopted

Notify Mela immediately if your studies are completed or interrupted or if your work disability ends. Unduly paid pension will be recovered.

Entitlement to a survivor’s pension if the policyholder received an old-age pension

If the old-age pension of the deceased policyholder began at the age of 63, the survivor’s entitlement to a survivor’s pension ends in the following conditions:

• After 3 years since the occupational accident or disease occurred
• The deceased policyholder had reached the maximum age limit for the insurance obligation in accordance with the applicable pension legislatio or has turned 68.

Funeral assistance

Funeral assistance amounting to 5 760 euros (as of 2024) may be paid to the estate or person organising the funeral even if the deceased policyholder does not have surviving family members eligible for a survivor’s pension.

Compensation is also paid to cover the reasonable costs of transporting the deceased from the place of death to his or her home municipality for burial.

Funeral assistance does not need to be applied for separately. We will evaluate your eligibility for funeral assistance based on the reports we receive.

For occupational injuries that occurred or were manifested before 1 January 2016, compensation is paid in accordance with the Farmers’ Accident Insurance Act.