Survivor Pension Calculator

The widow's pension (for men: widower's pension) is a benefit of the German statutory pension insurance under § 46 SGB VI. It is tied to the pension of the person who died: if they already drew a pension, their gross pension is the basis. If they were still working, the pension insurance takes the pension for full reduced earning capacity shown in the yearly pension statement. The person must have paid contributions for at least five years or already drawn a pension, and you must not have remarried.

There are two variants. The large survivor pension is 55 percent of the deceased's pension. You get it if you have reached the age limit (for a death in 2026 that is 46 years and 6 months, from 2029 it is 47), are raising a child under 18, care for a disabled child or have reduced earning capacity yourself. Otherwise you get the small survivor pension: 25 percent, and under the new law only for 24 months after the month of death. If you married before 2002 and one of you was born before 2 January 1962, the old law applies: 60 percent for the large pension and a small pension without a time limit.

The first three months after the month of death are called the death quarter. During this time you get the full pension of the person who died, and your income is not deducted. If the person already drew a pension, you can apply for an advance at the Deutsche Post pension service within 30 days. The funeral home often does this. The calculator shows you both dates.

Then comes the part that surprises many: the deduction of your own income under § 97 SGB VI. The pension insurance first takes a flat share off your gross income: 40 percent for wages, 14 percent for an own statutory pension, 17.5 percent for a company pension. It compares what is left with the allowance. Since 1 July 2026 that is 1,122.53 euros a month (26.4 times the current pension value of 42.52 euros), plus 238.11 euros for each child entitled to an orphan's pension. 40 percent of the amount above it is deducted from the survivor pension. The calculator shows every line of this calculation.

For children you raised up to their third birthday there is a supplement under § 78a SGB VI under the new law. With the large survivor pension this is about 85 euros a month for the first child and about 42.50 euros for each further child. With the small pension the supplement is smaller accordingly. Under the old law there is none, the 60 percent applies instead.

The deadline matters: you can take up to twelve calendar months to file the application (form R0500), and the pension insurance pays back to the start. If you wait longer, you lose months. The calculator gives you the exact date and adds it to your deadline tracker with one click. It also explains pension splitting, remarriage with its lump sum, the rule for marriages under one year and the child-raising pension after a divorce. The result stays an estimate: only the notice from the pension insurance is binding, and for pension splitting or special cases it is worth getting advice there or from a registered pension adviser.