Widow's allowance
Verified 01 January 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
On the death of your husband or wife, you can, under certain conditions related in particular to your age and your resources, benefit from a widow's allowance. You want to know if you can benefit, when and how to apply, what is the amount of the allowance? We present you with the information you need to know.
The widow's allowance is a sum of money allocated to the surviving spouse of an employed person, who is not entitled to benefit from the survivor's pension.
The widow's allowance is granted on a temporary basis.
Your spouse must have been insured under the old-age insurance scheme at least 3 months, whether continuous or not, in the year before his death.
The conditions that you must meet in order to receive the widow's allowance are linked to the following:
- your age,
- your residence,
- your family situation,
- and your resources.
Age
You must have under 55.
FYI
if you are 55 years of age or older, you can request a survivor's pension.
Residence
You must reside in France.
However, there are exceptions. You can inquire with the Pension Insurance or the MSA: titleContent or the pension fund concerned.
Who shall I contact
Pension insurance - 39 60
To inform you about your situation, ask a question about your file, access personal information (follow-up of the file, latest payments, etc.).
By telephone
39,60 (or 09 71 10 39 60 from a mobile, a box or the foreigner)
Free service + call price
Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm
Family situation
You must be:
- widowed,
- not be divorced from the deceased
- and not to live as a couple (remarriage, cohabitation, Civil partnerships: titleContent)
Resources
Your resources for the 3 calendar months before your application must not exceed €2,616.8250, or €872.2750 per month.
Within 2 years of 1er day of the month of death.
If you apply within 12 months of death, you can receive the allowance from 1er the day of the month in which the death occurred.
If you apply for more than 12 months after death, you are entitled to the allowance from 1er day of the month of your request.
The file to be set up is linked to the plan on which you depend.
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General social security scheme
Mutual Social Agricultural Organization (MSA)
You must send your request, as a priority, to the last place of work of your deceased spouse. However, you can also send your application to another fund (for example, your home).
The net widow's allowance is €697.82 per month.
The amount can be reduced depending on your resources.
Starting point
The starting point for your allowance depends on the date you request it:
- At 1er the day of the month in which the death occurred if you apply within 12 months following death (and if the applicant fulfills the conditions for the award at the date of death),
- At 1er day of the month of your application if you make your application beyond 12 months after death.
Recurrence
The allowance is paid every month.
Duration
You receive the widow's allowance:
- as long as you meet the conditions,
- up to 2 years (or up to 55 years if you were 50 years old at the time of your spouse's death).
Please note
you must inform your caisse of any change in situation (resources, family situation,...).
In the case of paid training or re-employment, you can combine the income received with the widow's allowance within a certain limit and for a certain period of time.
You can inquire with the Pension Insurance or the pension fund concerned.
Who shall I contact
Pension insurance - 39 60
To inform you about your situation, ask a question about your file, access personal information (follow-up of the file, latest payments, etc.).
By telephone
39,60 (or 09 71 10 39 60 from a mobile, a box or the foreigner)
Free service + call price
Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm
The widow's allowance shall not be subject to the following contributions:
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Pension insurance - 39 60
To inform you about your situation, ask a question about your file, access personal information (follow-up of the file, latest payments, etc.).
By telephone
39,60 (or 09 71 10 39 60 from a mobile, a box or the foreigner)
Free service + call price
Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm
Definition and conditions
Conditions relating to the deceased spouse (Article D356-1), conditions relating to the beneficiary (Articles D356-2 to D356-4), duration of payment (Article D356-5), effective date (Article D356-6), monthly amount (Article D356-7), claim (Articles D356-8 to D356-9)
Cumulation of activity (Article L5141-4)
National old-age insurance fund
National old-age insurance fund
National old-age insurance fund
