Survivor's benefit

Survivor's Allowance or Pension​​​

​If your husband, wife or civil partner dies, you may be entitled to receive a Survivor's Benefit. 

There are 2 benefits that may be paid: 

• Survivor's Allowance
  
• ​Survivor's Pension
  

About Survivor's Allowance

Survivor's Allowance is paid for the first 52 weeks after your spouse or civil partner has died.

This benefit is 20% higher than the usual rate of benefit. The amount you receive is based on the contribution record of your deceased spouse or partner.

While you're receiving Survivor's Allowance, your contribution record will be covered with credits. Credits have the same effect as a person paying Social Security contributions and protect your future entitlement to benefits.

If you're employed, you'll need to exchange your blue Social Security registration card for a red registration card. The red card indicates to your employer that they shouldn't deduct Social Security contributions from your wages.

Qualifying for Survivor’s Allowance​

You're likely to qualify for Survivor's Allowance if:

• you were married to your husband or wife or were in a civil partnership with your partner when they died
  
• either you, or your spouse or civil partner was under pension age on the day of his or her death
• your spouse or civil partner has paid at least six months' Social Security contributions in Jersey
• your spouse or civil partner died after 31 March 2001
• you haven't entered into a new marriage or civil partnership
  
• you're not cohabiting (living with a new partner)
  

About Survivor’s Pension

In some cases, Survivor's Pension is paid after the first 52 weeks. 

The amount you receive is based on the contribution record of your deceased spouse or civil partner.

Qualifying for a Survivor's Pension​​

You're likely to qualify for Survivor's Pension if: 

• you meet all the requirements for Survivor's Allowance
• you're under pension age
• either you have a dependent child or you were born on or before 31 December 1957
  

Dependent children

A dependent child includes children of school age or children up to the age of 25 if they're in full time education.

They must be you or your spouse's natural or adopted child and be part of your household (meaning they live with you).

If they're studying full time away from home, they can still be considered part of your household if they live with you outside of term time.

How much is the Survivor’s Benefit

Survivor’s Allowance is paid at a higher rate than Survivor’s Pension.

The standard (maximum) weekly rate of Survivor’s Allowance is £319.13.

The standard (maximum) weekly rate of Survivor’s Pension is £265.93.

The amount you receive is based on the contribution record of your spouse or civil partner.

The rate of benefit is reviewed in October every year. 

How Survivor’s Benefit is paid

Both the Survivor’s Allowance and Pension are paid four weekly in advance directly into an account with any recognised bank or building society.

Payment will start on the first Thursday after the death of your spouse or civil partner, providing the claim form is received within 6 months of your spouse's or civil partner's death.​

How to claim Survivor's Benefit

You'll need to complete a claim form. If you haven't already received one, contact us and we'll send you one. 

Along with your claim form, we'll need:

• your birth certificate
• your spouse’s or civil partner's birth certificate
• your marriage certificate or certificate of civil partnership
• your spouse’s or civil partner's death certificate
• birth certificates for any dependent children (Customer and Local Services will confirm whether you will need to send these in)
  
• proof of their full time education if they are over school leaving age

If you don't have immediate access to these certificates, you can send in your claim form anyway as you may lose some of the benefit by delaying your application.

However, we must see these certificates to be able to pay the benefit to you.

We can only accept original certifcates or certified copies, confirming an approved authority has seen the original document.

Contribution conditions to qualify for a Survivor’s Benefit​

To qualify for a Survivor’s Benefit (either allowance or pension), your spouse or civil partner must have paid contributions for at least 6 months. 

To get Survivor’s Benefit at the full standard rate (100%), your spouse or civil partner must have paid (or been credited with) full contributions from their 18th birthday up until the month before their death.

If your spouse or civil partner had gaps in their contribution record, the amount you receive will be reduced. 

For example, if his or her contribution record is 80% paid, you will be paid 80% of the standard rate Survivor’s Benefit.

A minimum of 10% entitlement is needed to pay Survivor’s Benefit.

Contributions paid in other countries

Some countries have Social Security schemes that are linked with Jersey by a reciprocal agreement. These agreements help protect a persons entitlement to benefit when people have worked in more than one country.

If your spouse or civil partner made Social Security payments in 1 of these countries, the contributions may be counted towards the calculation of survivor’s benefit in Jersey or you may have some entitlement from the other country.

Jersey currently has reciprocal agreements with the following countries:​​​​

Receiving other benefits

Survivor’s Benefit is not normally paid in addition to other benefits, but it's possible to receive Income Support and Survivor's Benefit at the same time.

If you're entitled to another pension or benefit from Jersey, you can choose to get whichever is more favourable to you.

Changes in your circumstances​

You must contact Customer and Local Services if you:

• change address 
• leave the Island 
• remarry or enter a civil partnership, cohabit or are in a relationship with another person that is like marriage or civil partnership
• a dependent child leaves your household
• a dependent child leaves full time education
• are detained in prison
• change bank accounts

Appealing a decision​

If you're not satisfied with our decision, contact the Customer and Local Services Department.

If you think a Social Security decision is wrong