Special survivors’ benefit

If you are an Israeli resident and were 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 month of birth, you shall receive for yourself and your children a special survivor benefit from the National Insurance Institute. The benefit is paid by the Ministry of Finance, provided that all the following conditions are met:

• The deceased was a permanent resident who immigrated to Israel under the Law of Return and became an Israeli resident after the age of 60.
• The survivors are: a widow who lived with the deceased or an orphan of the deceased, as defined in the third condition of entitlement.
• She meets the conditions of the income test.
• The widow and children are not receiving another pension or are receiving another pension in a small amount.
  

Please note:

After the death of a female immigrant who was not a housewife, only her children are entitled to a pension.
After the death of a female immigrant who was a housewife, (a married woman who immigrated to Israel after the age of 60-62), her survivors are not entitled to a special survivors’ benefit.

Rates of the special benefit

The rates of the special benefit (for the widow and children of the deceased) are equivalent to the rates of the survivors’ pension under the National Insurance Law, but without a seniority increment. An income supplement is paid according to the conditions of entitlement.

Survivors’ grant

A widow without children who is not entitled to a special survivors’ benefit because of her age (below age 40) shall receive a lump-sum survivors’ grant (equivalent to 36 monthly benefit payments).

Marriage grant

A widow who remarries when she is receiving a special survivors’ benefit  may receive a marriage grant under certain circumstances.

If she ceased to be married within 10 years of the date on which she remarried, she may receive a special survivors’ benefit under certain circumstances.

Living allowance for an orphan

Paid to a widow under certain conditions. The claim should be submitted on the form Claim for Living Allowance for an Orphan.

Bar/Bat Mitzva grant

This grant is not paid to children of the deceased.

Staying abroad

If you intend to go abroad you must notify the National Insurance Institute. If you stay abroad for an extended period of time and continue to receive the special survivors’ benefit, you may incur a debt to the National Insurance Institute. 

Submitting a claim for a benefit

To obtain the special survivors’ benefit, the form Claim for a Special Survivors’ Benefit must be submitted to the National Insurance Institute branch near the place of residence. Immigration documents proving entitlement must be attached to the claim form.

An Income Supplement Claim form is attached to the Special Survivors’ Benefit Claim form (a list of the required documents appears on the claim form).

It is important to submit the claim soon after the date of death.

Payment date

The special survivors’ benefit is paid on the 28^th of the month, and only as of the 1^st of the month in which the claim was submitted (the benefit is only paid for the period preceding the month of submission of the claim under certain conditions).