Widow’s pension: Partner not yet a pensioner – still entitled?

Every day, an expert from the t-online advice editorial team answers a reader's question about money. Today: Will I get a widow's pension if my husband was not yet a pensioner?

There are many myths surrounding widows' pensions . It often starts with the name: because the colloquial term "widow's pension" has become common, one might think that this type of pension is only available to women. But of course that is not the case. The editorial team is also repeatedly asked whether one is ever too old to be entitled to this survivor's pension. You can find the answer here.

In general, there seems to be a lot of uncertainty about the requirements for a widow's pension. This question from a t-online reader is also about this: "I am 60 years old, my husband is 62. We have been married for 37 years. Am I even entitled to a widow's pension if something happens to him now?"

The question behind this is whether you can receive a widow's pension even if your spouse was not yet in retirement at the time of your death. The answer is clear: yes.

"You can get a widow's pension if your husband has paid pension insurance contributions for at least 60 months and you were married to him for at least a year," says Silke Pottin from the German Pension Insurance Association to t-online. "If your husband has not yet clarified his insurance account with the German Pension Insurance Association, you may have to submit missing documents such as school reports." The account clarification can be used to correct errors in your pension history. You can read more about this here.

The pension insurance will inform you if any further proof is required. If you need help filling out the applications, you can contact the German pension insurance - either the information and advice centers, the free service telephone or the voluntary insurance advisors. The local authorities can also help. You can find addresses and telephone numbers on the pension insurance website .