Claiming survivor pensions from several countries after a partner dies

Key rules

• Separate claims: Every country where your partner worked needs its own survivor claim.
• Back-payments: Most schemes pay back-payments for only a limited period, so claim soon after the death.
• Viudedad: Spanish viudedad can be paid alongside foreign survivor pensions.
• Low-income top-up: Foreign survivor pensions count as income and can reduce the Spanish complemento a mínimos.
• EU claims: A claim lodged at the Spanish INSS counts as lodged in the other EU country.

Make a separate claim in every country

Each country where your partner worked or paid in has its own survivor scheme. None of them claims for you. Make a claim in each one, and do it soon. Most schemes pay back-payments for only a limited period, so a late claim can cost you money.

Spanish viudedad can sit alongside foreign survivor pensions. Claiming abroad does not stop you claiming in Spain.

Deadlines: claim promptly

Deadlines differ by country. Ask each pension body for its current deadline when you first contact it.

• UK bereavement support payment: there is a time limit, counted in months after the death, for getting the full payment. UK State Pension back-payments are also limited.
• US survivor benefits: these can be back-paid for a limited number of months before you apply.
• Germany: the pension is paid from the month of death if you claim within a short period after it. A later claim is paid only from the claim date.
• Spain: viudedad has a set retroactivity period, so do not wait.

The timeline below shows the order to follow.

United Kingdom

Claim from the DWP by phone, post or online form. Use the Bereavement Service for bereavement support payment, or the International Pension Centre for State Pension questions.

• Bereavement support payment needs your partner to have paid enough National Insurance. You must be under State Pension age. It can be paid to residents of EU/EEA countries.
• It is for spouses and civil partners. If you were not married or in a civil partnership, you do not qualify.
• If you are over State Pension age, you may inherit part of your late spouse's additional State Pension or protected payment. If you reached State Pension age before April 2016, you may also be able to use their contributions to improve your own basic State Pension.

Eligibility depends on the contribution record and the date of death, so confirm your case with the DWP.

United States

Claim from the Social Security Administration. From Spain, call through the US Embassy in Madrid or the Federal Benefits Unit, or use the SSA international line. Report the death promptly too.

• Widows and widowers can claim from age 60, or 50 if disabled. If you care for a child under 16, you can claim earlier.
• A one-time death payment of 255 US dollars may also be available.
• Payments can go by direct deposit to a Spanish bank account.
• Spanish working periods may count toward eligibility under the US-Spain agreement. Ask the SSA.

Germany, the Netherlands and France

You can lodge these claims at the Spanish INSS. The INSS is Spain's social security institute. Under EU rules, a claim lodged there counts as lodged in the other country on the same day, which protects your start date. You can also claim directly.

• Germany: claim a widow's or widower's pension from Deutsche Rentenversicherung.
• Netherlands: claim the ANW survivor benefit, or your late partner's AOW and work pension, through the Sociale Verzekeringsbank. ANW can be paid abroad only in limited cases.
• France: claim the pension de réversion through the online portal for pension rights or the relevant pension fund.

Each country sets its own conditions, such as age or income limits.

Spanish viudedad

Claim viudedad at the INSS alongside your foreign claims. Foreign survivor pensions are generally not deducted from it. It is also compatible with your own pension, up to Spain's overall maximum pension amount.

When contribution periods in several countries are combined, each country works out its own share, and a Spanish pro-rata share may apply.

There is one catch. Foreign pensions count as income for the low-income top-up (complemento a mínimos), so they can reduce it. Tell the INSS about every foreign survivor pension you receive. The INSS decides your case.

Keep it going

Keep your bank details and address up to date with every pension body. The documents list below shows what to gather, and the checklist covers the claims to make.

Timeline and deadlines

• Report the death and start each country's survivor claim: as soon as possible after the death

• Claim UK bereavement support payment from the DWP to receive full payment: within the months-long time limit after the death

• Apply for US survivor benefits, which can be back-paid for a limited number of months: before the back-pay period runs out

• Claim Spanish viudedad, which has a set retroactivity period: promptly after the death

Check each body's current time limits; they differ by country and are not the same everywhere.

Documents you need

• Death certificate for your late spouse, needed for the US Social Security survivor claim.

• Marriage certificate, needed for the US Social Security survivor claim.

• Social Security numbers of you and your late spouse.

• Your birth certificate.

• Your ID.

• Bank details for direct deposit to your Spanish account.

Checklist

• Make a separate survivor claim in every country where your partner worked or paid in.

• Ask each pension body for its deadline and claim promptly, because arrears are limited.

• Contact the DWP by phone, post or online form if your spouse paid UK National Insurance.

• Lodge German, Dutch or French claims through the Spanish INSS, or directly with the pension body in that country.

• Tell the INSS about your foreign survivor pensions, since they count toward the low-income top-up.

Frequently asked questions

Can I lodge a German or French survivor claim through the Spanish INSS?

Yes, a claim lodged at the Spanish INSS counts as lodged in the other EU country, so you can start there instead of contacting the foreign fund. The INSS forwards it, and each country then decides on its own rules, such as age or income conditions.

Will a foreign survivor pension be deducted from my Spanish viudedad?

No, foreign survivor pensions are generally not deducted from viudedad, because the two can be paid together. The limits are the general ceiling on the maximum Spanish pension and the low-income top-up (complemento a mínimos), which counts income from all sources.

Can I get UK bereavement support if I was not married to my partner?

No, UK bereavement benefits are for spouses and civil partners, and cohabitees do not qualify. If you were married, contact the DWP, the UK pensions and benefits department, to check the contribution record.

Can US survivor payments go into a Spanish bank account?

Yes, US Social Security can pay survivor benefits by direct deposit to a Spanish account. Have your bank details ready when you apply.