Survivor’s Pensions in Germany: Widow’s, Orphan’s, and Erziehungsrente

The German state pension insurance system offers several benefits for families following the death of an insured person: Witwenrente or Witwerrente for the surviving spouse, Waisenrente for children, and Erziehungsrente for a divorced parent raising a child. These benefits are not granted automatically: you usually need to submit an application to the German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung) and provide proof that you meet the eligibility requirements.

The information below provides a general overview of the rules. In complex cases—such as divorce, remarriage, foreign employment history, multiple countries of insurance coverage, or pension splitting—it is best to check your specific situation with the German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung) or an advisory center.

What Types of Benefits Are Available?

Benefit	Who is eligible	Based on whose pension account
Widow’s Pension / Widower’s Pension	For a widow, widower, or surviving registered partner	Based on the deceased’s pension entitlements
Orphan’s Pension	For children, and in certain cases for stepchildren, adopted children, grandchildren, and siblings	Based on the pension entitlements of the deceased parent or the person who was supporting the child
Child-Rearing Pension	For a divorced parent raising a child following the death of a former spouse	Credited to the surviving parent’s own pension account

Widow’s Pension and Widower’s Pension: Who Is Eligible

Entitlement to a widow’s or widower’s pension generally arises if the marriage or registered partnership had existed for at least one year at the time of death. An exception may apply, for example, in the case of death due to an accident: in such cases, the one-year requirement may not apply.

Additional conditions:

• The deceased spouse or partner had completed the minimum insurance period Wartezeit of five years, was already receiving a pension, or died under circumstances where the five-year waiting period is not required—for example, due to a workplace accident;
• The surviving spouse or partner has not remarried;
• An application has been submitted to the pension insurance agency.

There are two types of widow’s pensions: small and large. The difference lies in the eligibility requirements, the duration of benefits, and the percentage of the deceased’s calculated pension.

Kleine Witwenrente: Small Widow’s Pension

Kleine Witwenrente is granted if the surviving spouse:

• are younger than the age threshold for the full widow’s pension;
• is not considered “Erwerbsgemindert,” meaning they do not have a recognized reduction in earning capacity;
• does not have custody of the child who entitles them to a higher pension.

The amount of a small widow’s or widower’s pension is usually 25% of the full disability pension or old-age pension that the deceased was receiving or would have been entitled to receive.

Under current law, the small pension is paid for a maximum of two years after death. Under the old law, it can be paid indefinitely if the marriage took place before 2002 and one of the spouses or partners was born before January 2, 1962.

Große Witwenrente: Large Widow’s Pension

Große Witwenrente is granted if the surviving spouse or partner meets at least one of the following conditions:

• has reached the required age threshold;
• is of reduced earning capacity;
• is raising their own child or the child of a deceased parent who is under 18 years of age;
• cares for a child with a disability who cannot support themselves, regardless of the child’s age.

In 2026, the age threshold for the full widow’s pension upon the death of an insured person in 2026 is 46 years and 6 months. The threshold will continue to rise to 47 years for deaths occurring from 2029 onward.

Year of the insured person’s death	Minimum age for the full widow’s pension
2025	46 years 4 months
2026	46 years 6 months
2027	46 years, 8 months
2028	46 years 10 months
from 2029	47 years old

The amount of a full widow’s or widower’s pension is usually 55% of the deceased’s calculated pension. Under the old law, 60% may apply if the marriage took place before 2002 and one of the spouses or partners was born before January 2, 1962.

Sterbevierteljahr: The First Months After Death

Sterbevierteljahr refers to the three months following the month of death. During this period, the widow or widower receives the full amount of the deceased’s pension entitlement, and the surviving spouse’s own income is not taken into account.

If the deceased was already receiving a pension, their full pension is still paid for the month of death, and the widow’s or widower’s pension does not begin until the following month at the earliest. If the deceased was not yet a pensioner, entitlement may begin on the date of death.

Remarriage and Pension Settlement

Upon remarriage, both the small and large Witwenrente or Witwerrente cease at the end of the calendar month in which the marriage is registered.

Instead, a Rentenabfindung—a lump-sum payment that the Deutsche Rentenversicherung describes as “Starthilfe”—may be granted. It usually amounts to two years’ worth of a widow’s or widower’s pension. For a small widow’s pension, only the unused balance until the end of the term is paid out.

To apply, you will usually need the deceased’s social security number and your new marriage certificate. If you are receiving a child-raising pension or a pension from your second-to-last spouse, you may not be eligible for a pension settlement.

Pensions for Divorced Spouses

After a divorce, there is generally no entitlement to a Witwenrente or Witwerrente. Exceptions exist for divorces that occurred a long time ago and in special circumstances.

A pension for a former spouse is possible if all of the following conditions are met simultaneously:

• The marriage was dissolved before July 1, 1977;
• The applicant did not remarry after the divorce while the former spouse was still alive;
• During the last year before the former spouse’s death, the applicant was receiving alimony or was entitled to it;
• The former spouse has completed the five-year waiting period, died in a work-related accident, or was already receiving a pension.

If, after the death of a former spouse, the applicant remarried and that new marriage was subsequently dissolved or terminated, eligibility may need to be reviewed again.

Kinderzuschlag to a widow’s pension

If a widow or widower raised a child until the age of three, the widow’s or widower’s pension may be increased by the Kinderzuschlag. This supplement begins in the fourth calendar month following the death, that is, after the Sterbevierteljahr period.

For pensions under the old system, the Kinderzuschlag usually does not apply because a higher percentage for the large widow’s pension applies instead—60% instead of 55%.

The exact amounts of the Kinderzuschlag depend on pension values and are subject to change. Therefore, before calculating the amount, it is best to consult the current Deutsche Rentenversicherung brochure or your pension decision (Bescheid) rather than using outdated tables.

Erziehungsrente: Child-Rearing Pension

The Erziehungsrente is intended for situations where a person is divorced, raising a child, and the former spouse has died. Unlike a widow’s pension, it is calculated not from the deceased’s pension account, but from the surviving parent’s own pension account.

Key requirements:

• The surviving parent’s own waiting period must be at least five years;
• the former spouse has died;
• The applicant has not remarried or registered a new partnership;
• The applicant is raising their own child or the child of their former spouse, including, in certain cases, stepchildren, adopted children, grandchildren, and siblings;
• the child is under 18 years of age or has a disability and cannot support themselves;
• The marriage was dissolved, annulled, or revoked after June 30, 1977, or, in the case of an earlier dissolution, the alimony claim was based on GDR law.

The amount of the Erziehungsrente corresponds to the pension for full Erwerbsminderung. If you are entitled to multiple pensions for the same period, only the highest one is paid.

Waisenrente: Orphan’s Pension

Waisenrente is paid following the death of one or both parents. If one parent is still alive, it is called Halbwaisenrente; if neither parent is alive, it is called Vollwaisenrente.

The deceased parent must have completed the five-year waiting period, already be receiving a pension, or have died under circumstances where the five-year waiting period is not required—for example, as a result of a workplace accident.

The following individuals may be eligible for an orphan’s pension:

• biological and adopted children;
• stepchildren and adopted children, if they lived in the deceased’s household;
• grandchildren, brothers, and sisters, if they lived in the deceased’s household or were primarily supported by the deceased.

Adoption or the orphan’s own marriage does not automatically terminate this entitlement.

Amounts:

• Halbwaisenrente — 10% of the deceased’s calculated pension;
• Vollwaisenrente — 20% of the deceased’s calculated pension.

The Waisenrente is usually paid until the child turns 18. Payment may be extended for up to one month past the child’s 27th birthday if the child is attending school, undergoing vocational training, enrolled in college, participating in recognized voluntary service, has a disability and cannot support themselves, or is in a transition period of up to four months between two stages of education or service.

Deutsche Rentenversicherung periodically requests proof of enrollment in school. If proof is not provided, payments may be suspended. According to the DRV, an orphan’s income, including Ausbildungsvergütung, is not counted against the Waisenrente.

How to Apply

You must apply for a survivor’s pension. You can do this through the German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung), online services, DRV counseling centers, or the municipal insurance office (Versicherungsamt).

You’ll typically need:

• the deceased’s personal information and insurance number;
• death certificate;
• a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, divorce decree, or documents proving kinship;
• documents regarding the children and their education, if applying for an orphan’s pension or a child-rearing pension;
• information about your own income for the widow’s pension (Witwenrente), widower’s pension (Witwerrente), and child-rearing pension (Erziehungsrente);
• Bank account information and documents requested by the DRV.

How Income Is Taken Into Account

Your own income may reduce your widow’s pension, widower’s pension, or child-rearing pension. According to DRV rules, income above a certain exemption amount is counted at 40%. During the three-month period following the death (Sterbevierteljahr), income is not taken into account for widow’s and widower’s pensions.

Income taken into account may include wages, replacement benefits such as ALG I or sick pay (Krankengeld), income from capital, rental income, occupational pensions, private pension and insurance payments, parental allowance (Elterngeld), and comparable foreign income. For an orphan’s pension (Waisenrente), the orphan’s own income is not taken into account.

What to Check Before Applying

• The dates of marriage, divorce, and the spouses’ children’s births: these determine whether the old or new rules apply.
• Did the deceased or the applicant fulfill the five-year Wartezeit?
• Are there children, education, disability, or other grounds for a higher pension or an extension of the Waisenrente?
• Whether there has been a remarriage, pension splitting, or entitlement to multiple pensions.
• What income must be reported, and what documentation will the DRV request?

Survivor’s pensions in Germany depend on family circumstances and the length of the pension record. Therefore, the calculation of the amount should be viewed as an individual decision (Bescheid) rather than a universal table: the percentages can be estimated in advance, but the final amount is determined by the pension insurance provider.