Extending the Survivor's Pension to Orphans of Self-Employed Parents

Until recently, orphans with one parent who was self-employed were not eligible for a survivor's pension. 

However, as of July 8, 2024, the rules have changed to include these children. Previously, only orphans whose parents were civil servants or former private-sector employees receiving the Agirc-Arrco supplemental pension were eligible for a survivor’s pension. As part of the 2023 pension reform, the list of potential beneficiaries was expanded to include children of deceased parents who were receiving the basic pension. However, orphans of self-employed parents were still excluded. A decree published on July 7 in the Official Journal put an end to this unequal treatment.
 

Extending the Survivor's Pension to Orphans of Self-Employed Workers
 

When a child becomes an orphan, he or she may receive a portion of his or her parents’ retirement benefits, subject to certain conditions. This payment, known as a survivor’s pension, was previously reserved for the children of civil servants or private-sector employees, thereby excluding orphans whose parents were self-employed (farmers, artisans, merchants, business owners, etc.).
 

This disparity was corrected with the publication of a decree in the Official Journal on July 7, 2024, which took effect on July 8. From now on, children whose parents have died and at least one of whom was self-employed are eligible to receive a survivor’s pension, thereby providing them with protection similar to that afforded to the children of civil servants or private-sector employees.
 

Amount and Conditions: Details of the Survivor's Pension for Self-Employed Individuals
 

Since July 8, 2024, orphans whose parent was self-employed are eligible to receive a portion of that parent’s retirement benefits. To qualify, they must generally be under 21 years of age. However, in certain situations, this age limit may be extended or even waived. This is the case when the orphaned child’s income remains below 55% of the gross hourly minimum wage, or 11.65 euros as of January 1, 2024. In this situation, the survivor’s pension may be received until the child turns 25.
 

In addition, the age limit is waived for orphaned children with a disability rating of more than 80 percent, provided that their income remains below the same threshold of 55 percent of the gross hourly minimum wage, or 12,994 euros gross per year. The survivor’s pension is calculated based on the amount of the retirement pension, at 54% of the basic retirement pension that the deceased parent received or would have received.
 

The benefits system for orphans of self-employed workers is the same as that for former private-sector employees, since the latter are also entitled to a survivor’s pension equal to 54% of the deceased parent’s basic retirement pension. If there are multiple orphaned children, the amount of the survivor’s pension is divided equally among them. In all cases, the monthly payment cannot be less than 100 euros gross.
 

Please note: The survivor's pension rate applicable to civil servants who died while employed by the state, local government, or hospital systems is 50 percent of the base pension.