Social benefits

Civil service: new aid for children of deceased staff

Publié le 01 juillet 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Beneficiaries of deceased public officials can now receive a temporary education pension until at least 18 years of age, and up to 27 years of age if they continue their studies. Those who are recognized as having a disability can receive a lifetime pension.

A decree issued in Official Journal of 19 june 2024 indicates the introduction of a temporary education pension and a life disability pension paid to those entitled:

  • civilian public officials;
  • military personnel;
  • government workers.

Both annuities are for deaths since the firster January 2024.

Those eligible for the temporary education pension are:

  • children of a deceased official;
  • the dependent children of a deceased staff member;
  • children born within 300 days of the death of an officer.

This education pension is received by the right holders:

  • until their 18the birthday, unconditionally;
  • between 18 and 27 years of age, provided they continue their studies (whether in a secondary, higher or vocational school, or under an apprenticeship or work-linked contract).

The amount of the temporary education pension is calculated from the social security ceiling, which is upgraded every year (the monthly ceiling is €3 864 in 2024). Thus, for 2024 the amount of the temporary education pension is:

  • €193.20 per month (5% of the social security ceiling), for beneficiaries under 18 years of age;
  • €579.60 per month (15% of the Social Security ceiling) for beneficiaries aged 18 to 27 who are continuing their studies.

What are the terms of the life annuity for disability?

The beneficiary of a deceased civil servant of the State, a deceased military official or a deceased state worker may receive the life annuity for disability provided that at the time of death:

Payment of this annuity shall be interrupted only when the person entitled no longer fulfills one of these conditions. This entitled person may be:

  • a child of the deceased official;
  • or a child who is effectively dependent on that staff member.

The amount of the life annuity for disability is fixed at 15% of the social security ceiling, i.e. €579.60 per month in 2024.

Life annuity for disability and temporary education pension may not be combined.

These 2 annuities are paid from the first day of the month following the date of death of the staff member.

FYI  

The employer of a deceased staff member has an obligation to inform the children of the deceased staff member of their entitlement to the temporary education pension or the disability pension, depending on their situation.

In the event of the death of his second parent, who is also a civilian public official of the State, military or state worker, a person entitled shall receive a second life annuity for disability or a second temporary education annuity (an annuity of the same amount as the first).

Please note

The decree published in Official Journal of 19 June 2024 specifies that the amount of the death capital paid on the death of a civil public official of the State, a military official, a judicial magistrate or a state worker shall be equal to the annual gross remuneration of the official.

A decree of 17 February 2021 temporarily amended the calculation of the death benefit paid to civilian public officials in order to increase the amount to one year’s gross remuneration of the civil servant. At that time, it was intended that this measure would apply only to deaths that occurred during 2021. Then, a decree of December 27, 2021, extended, without a time limit, these derogations for calculating the death capital and extended them to the military.

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