Survivors

The claim should be submitted on the form Claim for a Survivors’ Pension. The form contains a list of the documents that must be attached and may be sent to the National Insurance Institute by mail.

In order to receive the survivors' pension retroactively from the date of the insured's death, the claim for the pension should be submitted to the NII no later than 12 months after the date of death. If the claim is submitted after 12 months have elapsed from the date of death, those entitled to the pension will receive it for a retroactive period that does not exceed 12 months.

The survivors’ pension is paid on the 28^th of each month for that same month. After approval of the claim, the recipient receives notification about the first payment due to him.

If a recipient of an old-age pension or a disability pension dies, the survivors’ pension is paid from the 1^st of the month after the month in which he died.

After the death of a person who was not receiving an old-age pension or a disability pension, the survivors’ pension is paid as follows:

         If the survivors are entitled to an income supplement, the pension is paid from the 1^st of the month in which the death occurred.
        Is the survivors are not entitled to an income supplement, the pension is paid from the 1^st of the month in which the death occurred if it occurred before the 16^th of the month, and from the 1^st of the month after the month in which the death occurred if it occurred after the 15^th of the month.

The pension is paid into your bank account, provided that the account is in your name only, or in your name and that of your parent, son or daughter, brother or sister.

In locations in which there are no bank branches or in exceptional cases (such as a person with a restricted bank account), the pension is paid through post offices, including the mobile post. In such as case, you must notify the National Insurance Institute of the post office at which it is most convenient for you to receive the pension. You must withdraw the pension no later than the 19^th of the month after the month of payment. If the pension is not withdrawn by that date, it will be added to one of the next payments. If you do not withdraw the pension for 3 consecutive months, payment will be stopped until the matter is clarified.

A pension for a widow or widower, a pension for orphans, a special survivors’ benefit, a seniority increment.

A Bar Mitzva grant is paid to a girl who reaches the age of 12 and a boy who reaches the age of 13. The grant is NIS 5,650 (as of 01.01.2012) .

An orphan who has lost both parents and is receiving two survivors’ pensions, is entitled to a grant for each parent.

A survivors’ grant is paid in the following cases:

     To a widow or widower below the age of 40, who has a child.

     To a widower who received a survivors’ pension as a widower with a child, but the child no longer meets the criterion to be deemed a child and the widower is no loner entitled to continued payment of the survivors’ pension because of his high income.

The grant is a lump sum payment, and terminates entitlement to a monthly survivors’ pension.

However, if a widower who does not have a child and received a survivors’ pension due to his low income, but later his income increased to more than the maximum income threshold, his entitlement to the survivors’ pension terminates and he receives the survivors’ grant.

If, in the future, his income drops below the maximum income threshold, his entitlement to a monthly survivors’ pension will be reexamined.

If a survivors’ pension is approved for him, the survivors’ grant that he received is deducted from the survivors’ pension.

Rate of the grant - the amount of 36 monthly pension payments.

Wife of insured man at the time of his death, had been married to him for at least a year (six months for woman aged 55 and over), or has borne him a child.

Husband of insured woman at the time of her death, had been married to her for at least a year (six months for man aged 55 and over), if he has child living with him or has passed a means test.

The son or daughter of an insured person (including foster child, adopted child and grandchild supported entirely by the insured person, except for a married child) who meets one of the following conditions: *up to age 18; *if completing his studies at a post-elementary educational institution or studying in a framework to complete matriculation exams, or having a learning disability and studying in a framework recognized by the NII– up to age 20; *if in a pre-army IDF framework – up to age 20;* if a volunteer in a framework of public service for up to 12 months and his army service is deferred due to this volunteering – up to age 21; *if serving compulsory service in the IDF – up to age 24; *if serving in the voluntary National Service – up to age 24;*if studying in an "atuda" framework and deferring army service due to studies – up to age 24.

A marriage grant is paid to a widow/er who is receiving a survivors’ pension and remarries. Rate of the grant - the equivalent of 36 monthly pension payments. The grant is paid in two installments: the first after the date of the remarriage and the second two years later. Widows or widowers who remarry are no long entitled to receive a survivors’ pension, although they may be entitled to continued payments under certain conditions:

Once a year, a lump-sum heating grant is paid to recipients of survivors pensions who fulfill the following conditions:
1.   The recipient has reached retirement sge.
2.   The recipient received an income supplement to the survivors pension in one of the following months: October, November or December of that year.
3.   The recipient lives in an area defined as “cold” by the law, for at least two months.

The grant, which is given to the family, is NIS 536 (as of 01.01.2012) , and is paid automatically as an addition to the pension for the month of October.

Children entitled to a maintenance allowance:

     An orphan who, due to the death of his parent, is receiving a survivors’ pension or a special survivors’ benefit.

      An orphan who has lost both parents and is receiving two survivors’ pensions is entitled to a maintenance allowance for each parent.

National insurance contributions, health insurance contributions and other deductions from the pension:

The conditions for receiving a survivors’ pension and an old-age pension, people who are entitled to a survivors’ pension and to another pension, people who are entitled to a survivors’ pension and to another pension due to the same event, survivors of a person who died due to a work accident or a hostile action, third party claims.

An income supplement is added to the survivors’ pension that you receive under the National Insurance Law, to ensure you a minimum income.

A woman who is an Israeli resident, and was married to an Israeli resident who died and was not covered by survivors’ insurance because he immigrated to Israel after the age of 60-62 according to his date of birth, receives for herself and her children a special survivors’ benefit from the National Insurance Institute. The benefit is paid by the Ministry of Finance, provided that all the following conditions are met:

Local authorities
Ministry of Transport
Ministry of Construction and Housing
Israel Broadcasting Authority
Health funds
Israel Electric  Corporation
Bezek

A widow/er with children who are receiving a survivors’ pension is entitled to benefits under the Single-Parent Families Law.

Upon the death of a person who received an old age, survivors, general disability, or work disability pension, an attendance allowance or a volunteers’ benefit from the National Insurance Institute, a lump-sum grant is paid to the person who was the deceased’s spouse at the time of his death. If there is no spouse, the grant is paid to the child of the benefit recipient, provided that the child meets the definition of a child under the National Insurance Law.

The death grant is usually paid automatically and there is no need to submit a claim.

The son or daughter of an insured person (including foster child, adopted child and grandchild supported entirely by the insured person, except for a married child) who meets one of the following conditions: *up to age 18; *if completing his studies at a post-elementary educational institution or studying in a framework to complete matriculation exams, or having a learning disability and studying in a framework recognized by the NII– up to age 20; *if in a pre-army IDF framework – up to age 20;* if a volunteer in a framework of public service for up to 12 months and his army service is deferred due to this volunteering – up to age 21; *if serving compulsory service in the IDF – up to age 24; *if serving in the voluntary National Service – up to age 24;*if studying in an "atuda" framework and deferring army service due to studies – up to age 24.

If you are staying abroad, you are paid the survivors’ pension abroad for a maximum of 6 months, and if you went abroad on or after August 1, 2009, the survivors pension will be paid to you abroad for up to 3 months.

Your pension will be paid into your bank account in Israel.

If you intend to stay abroad for more than 3 months, you must notify the National Insurance Institute (Old Age and Survivors Department) of your trip in writing. Under special circumstances, the National Insurance Institute will continue to pay you the pension during your stay abroad, even after the aforementioned time limits.