Survivors' Employees' Pension

The deceased person‘s survivors can receive Survivors’ Employees‘ Pension if they are financially dependent on a deceased person and if one of the following applies at the time of his/her death:

• The deceased person is an insured worker under EPI. Or, the person dies within 5 years because of an illness or injury for which he/she had the first medical consultation while he/she was covered by EPI. The deceased person needs to satisfy same contribution requirements as that for Survivors’ Basic Pension.
• The deceased person has 25 years or more coverage periods i.e. contribution-paid periods and contribution-exempted periods including various complementary periods
• The deceased person is eligible for Disability Employees' Pension (Grade 1 or 2.)

The spouse of the deceased person, who takes care of his/her dependent child(ren) or his/her child(ren) can receive Survivors' Employees' Pension in addition to Survivors' Basic Pension.
The benefits are awarded to the survivors in the order as follows:

1. The spouse of the deceased who takes care of his/her child(ren)
2. The deceased person's child(ren) who is under age 18 (until first March 31 after his/her 18th birthday) or age 20 if he/she has a certain grade of disability specified by pension law*
3. The spouse** of the deceased with no children
4. The deceased person's mother and father***
5. The deceased person's grandchild(ren) who is under age 18 (until first March 31 after his/her 18th birthday) or age 20 if he/she has a certain grade of disability specified by pension law
6. The deceased person's grandmother and grandfather***

* Survivors’ Employees‘ Pension is not provided to the deceased person‘s child(ren) while the wife of the deceased who takes care of his/her child(ren) or the husband aged 55 or older is receiving Survivors’ Employees’ Pension.

** The deceased person's wife under age 30 with no child can receive Survivors' Employees' Pension only for 5 years. In addition, the deceased person's husband with no child can receive Survivors' Employees' Pension only if he is aged 55 or older. However, the benefits start at age 60 (Survivors' Employees' Pension is receivable between age 55 and 60 only if Survivors’ Basic Pension is also receivable.)

*** The deceased person's parents and grandparents can receive the Survivors' Employees' Pension only if they are aged 55 or older. However, the benefits start at age 60.

( (a) + (b) ) × 3/4 + Survivors' Basic Pension (￥831,700** + additional benefits for child(ren))

* The spouse needs to live with his/her child(ren) who is eligible for the Survivors' Basic Pension.

** ￥829,300 for a survivor of the deceased person born on or before April 1, 1956

*** The ratio varies according to the deceased person's date of birth if the deceased person was eligible for Old-age Employees' Pension before his/her death.

**** Different formula is used when the total number of the deceased person’s covered months ( (a) + (b) ) is actually less than 300 months (25 years.)

• ￥239,300 each for the first and second child
• ￥79,800 each for the third and subsequent child

( (a) + (b) ) × 3/4

You need to file "Application for Pension: Survivors' Benefits under National Pension / Employees' Pension Insurance."
Documents to be attached are as follows;

• Documents to prove the relationship between the deceased person and the applicant of the benefits, e.g. certified copy of Family Registry*
• Documents to prove that the deceased person and the applicant lived in the same household*
• Evidence documents of the applicant’s income*
• Copy of statements, passbook, or certificate of your bank account, as evidence of your bank account for benefits deposit **
• Applicant’s declaration notice on sharing the living (if the deceased person and the applicant lived separately)

Additional documents are required if the cause of death is due to the actions of a third party. In such cases, contact JPS branch offices or pension consultation center in advance.

* Date of documents should be after the date of death.

** If you reside outside Japan and wish to have your benefits deposited to your bank account outside Japan, you also need to submit “Notification of Registration (Change) of Address/Pension-receiving Financial Institution of Pension Recipient Residing Outside Japan.”

If you reside in Japan, submit the application and documents to your nearest JPS branch office or pension consultation center. If you reside outside Japan, send it by post to the JPS branch office in charge of your latest place of residence in Japan or to the JPS Headquarters. See list of JPS branch offices.