Survivors' Benefit

The death of a family member has beyond the emotional burden a significant financial impact on the resources of the survivors'. Salaries and allowances are no longer paid; even the retirement benefit will cease to continue. To partly overcome this situation, the SSO system provides survivors' benefits for the family member of the death SSO member.

Prerequisites to receiveSurvivors' Benefit
Prior to the death of the insured member or the SSO retiree, contributions will have to be paid for a minimum of 5 years. In consequence, the surviving members his/her family will be entitled to one of survivors' benefits mentioned hereafter.

Survivors' benefits are classified into 3 categories:

• Adaptation benefit;

• Widow(er) benefit;

• Orphans' benefit.

Adaptation Benefit
Persons entitled to receive an adaptation benefit include:

• 1. The surviving spouse;

• 2. Children under 18 years of age or children who are disabled.

The adaptation benefit will be at the equivalent of 80% of the insured person's monthly earnings or the pension, if applicable. The adaptation benefit will be paid for a maximum period of 12 months. However, persons receiving an adaptation benefit are not entitled to receive survivors' or orphans' benefits or any similar benefits for the period that the adaptation benefit is being received.

Widow(er) Benefits
Persons entitled to receive a widow(er) benefit include

• The surviving wife, who has reached the age of 44 years or more

• The surviving wife, who is disabled or without working capacity

• The surviving wife, who has one or more children under age of 18;

• The surviving husband, who is disabled or unable to work.

Calculation of Widow(er) Benefit

The widow(er) benefit is equal to 60% of the pension received by the death member. In case an insured person dies before receiving a pension, the widow(er) benefit will be equal to 60% of the fictive invalidity benefit of this member.

Combination of Widow(er) Benefit with Retirement Pension and Other Benefits

A widow(er) benefit may be combined with retirement pension or similar benefits that persons concerned may be currently receiving from SSO, which combination amount must not exceed 125% of the retirement or widow(er) pension amount, whichever is higher. An adaptation benefit cannot be combined with this type of benefits.

Consideration of Remarriages

SSO will pay a widow(er) benefit only under the condition that the person concerned has not re-married. In case such person has re-married and the new marriage ends within one year, the person concerned will be entitled to receive a widow(er) benefit from the former spouse. In case the new marriage ends by the death of the new spouse after one year and if the new spouse is insured, the person concerned is entitled to select receiving benefit entitlements from th previous or the new spouse.

Orphans' Benefit
Children of the deceased person, whether they are offspring, stepchildren or adopted children, are entitled to receive surviving benefits. Surviving children less than 18 years of age will receive an orphans' benefit. If surviving children are disabled and unable to work, such benefit will be permanent.

Calculation of Orphans' Benefit

Each surviving child will be entitled to receive an Orphans' Benefit equal to 20% of the pension or assumed invalidity benefit of the death parent, which must not exceed 60% of the pension or assumed invalidity benefit of the deceased person.

Combination of Orphans Benefit with widow(er) Benefit

In case family members of the deceased pensioner or insured person are entitled to both widow(er) benefit and orphan benefit due to the death of the same person, their total benefit to be received form SSO must not exceed 80% of the pension or 100% of the assumed invalidity benefit of the deceased person.