Conditions for a widow’s pension from AHV / IV
When am I entitled to a widow’s pension as a married woman?
If you are married and your spouse has passed away, you are entitled to a widow's or widower's pension from the AHV or IV under the following conditions:
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If you had at least one child at the time of your spouse's death, regardless of their age, you qualify for a widow's pension. This includes children of the deceased spouse who lived in the same household and are eligible for an orphan's pension due to their parent's death. The regulation also extends to foster children jointly cared for by the spouses, provided they are adopted by you after becoming widowed. A widow with a child also includes the wife of the mother if she was married to the mother at the time of the child’s birth, and the child was conceived according to the provisions of the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act, thereby establishing a legal parent-child relationship (Art. 255a Para. 1 of the Civil Code).
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You are eligible for a widow's pension if, at the time of widowhood, you have reached the age of 45 and were married for at least five years. In cases of multiple marriages, the years of marriage are accumulated. For same-sex marriages that result from the conversion of a registered partnership, the duration of the registered partnership is also counted towards the marriage years.
In summary:
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If there are no children, you must be at least 45 years old.
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If there are children, no specific age is required.
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The marriage must have lasted at least five years.
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The widow's pension amounts to a maximum of 80% of the deceased spouse's retirement pension.
The entitlement to a widow's pension ceases upon remarriage.
AHV / IV building Schwyz by Zehnder, Benno BSS Architekten AG, Simon Steiner 2019 (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Technology & Architecture)
Under certain circumstances, as a woman divorced from a Swiss citizen, you may be entitled to a widow's pension.
As a married woman, you are entitled to a widow's pension under the AHV or IV in Switzerland if your spouse has passed away, under the following conditions:
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If you have at least one child at the time of your spouse's death, regardless of the child’s age, you are eligible for a widow's pension. This includes children of the deceased spouse who lived in the same household and are eligible for an orphan's pension due to their parent's death. This regulation also extends to foster children who were jointly cared for by the spouses, provided they are adopted by you after becoming widowed. Additionally, a widow who is the wife of the mother at the time of the child’s birth and the child was conceived according to the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act, thereby establishing a legal parent-child relationship, is also entitled to a widow's pension.
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If you are at least 45 years old at the time of widowhood and were married for at least five years, you are entitled to a widow's pension. The years of marriage are cumulative if there were multiple marriages. For same-sex marriages resulting from the conversion of a registered partnership, the duration of the registered partnership also counts towards the marriage years.
Summary of eligibility without children:
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You must be at least 45 years old.
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The marriage must have lasted at least five years.
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The widow's pension amounts to a maximum of 80% of the deceased spouse's retirement pension.
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The entitlement to a widow's pension ceases upon remarriage.
For divorced women from a Swiss spouse:
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You may also be entitled to a widow's pension if your divorced spouse has passed away, under these conditions:
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You have children and your divorced marriage lasted at least ten years, or
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You were older than 45 at the time of the divorce, and the marriage also lasted at least ten years, or
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Your youngest child reaches the age of 18 after you have reached the age of 45.
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Summary for divorced women:
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The marriage lasted at least ten years, and you have children.
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The marriage lasted at least ten years, and you were 45 years or older at the time of divorce.
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Your youngest child has reached the age of 18 after you have turned 45.
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The widow's pension amounts to a maximum of 80% of the deceased spouse's retirement pension.
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The entitlement to a widow's pension ceases upon remarriage.
These conditions are designed to provide financial support from the Swiss social security system to those who have lost their spouse and meet specific criteria, ensuring some economic stability in the face of such loss.