Spouse & children under 16 (or 21 if in education)
50% of deceased's pension
25% per child (up to 40% if no spouse)
Lump sum for 50–149 contribution weeks
100% of deceased's pension
150 paid (by the deceased)
A Survivors Benefit is payable to the dependents of a deceased insured person who had made sufficient contributions to the National Insurance Fund. Dependents include the widow or widower of the deceased, and dependent children under the age of 16, or under the age of 21 if in full-time education.
The deceased must have had at least 150 weeks of paid contributions for dependents to qualify for the ongoing pension benefit.
Benefit rate definition: A widow or widower is entitled to 50% of the pension the deceased was receiving or would have been entitled to. Each dependent child receives 25% of the pension, or up to 40% if there is no surviving spouse. The total family benefit cannot exceed 100% of the deceased’s pension entitlement.
Survivors Grant (lump sum): Where the deceased had between 50 and 149 weeks of paid contributions, a lump sum grant is payable to the dependents, calculated based on the contributions made.
