Key Points at a Glance
- Monthly amount: paid in an amount equal to 80 % of the deceased's pension, or between 1,008 CHF and 2,016 CHF (household cap of 3,024 CHF).
- Conditions (married woman): have at least one child OR be 45 years old with 5 years of marriage for a lifelong pension.
- Gender inequality: Widowers are only entitled to this if they have children under the age of 18 (harmonization reform underway).
- Non-accumulation principle: In the event of concurrency with one's own old-age or disability pension, only the highest one is paid.
- Pension calculation: based on the deceased's average income, including educational credits (45,360 CHF/year) and a supplement if death occurs before age 45.
What Is an AVS/OASI Widow's Pension?
The widow's pension is a benefit provided by the AVS (Old Age and Survivors' Insurance) to married or divorced women whose spouse has died. It is one of the survivors’ pensions, which are designed to provide financial protection for the deceased’s dependents when they are, or were, financially dependent on the deceased’s income.
The goal is to prevent the death of one spouse from leaving the other in a precarious situation, particularly if there are dependent children or if the surviving spouse is nearing retirement age.
Widow's Pension vs. Widower's Pension: Differences in Treatment
As things currently stand, Swiss law still treats men and women differently. A widow's pension can be granted for life or temporarily, depending on certain conditions. A man (widower), by contrast, is only entitled to this pension if he has dependent children, and only until the youngest child reaches the age of majority.
This differentiated treatment is currently under review, with the aim of harmonizing benefits as part of a reform toward a «surviving parent’s pension.».
Conditions for Receiving an AVS/OASI Widow's Pension
To receive an AVS widow’s pension in Switzerland, certain requirements must be met. These vary depending on whether the woman is married or divorcee at the time of her spouse's death.
If You Were Married at the Time of Death
You're entitled to an AVS/OASI widow's pension if:
- You have at least a child (regardless of age) at the time of the spouse's death,
- or
- You have 45 years old have passed and you have been married for at least 5 years.
These two conditions are alternative. If you meet at least one of them, you are eligible to receive the widow’s pension on a long-term basis.
If You Don't Meet the Conditions Above
You are only eligible for a temporary widow’s pension until your youngest child reaches the age of 18 years. After that, the right expires.
If You're Divorced
- 1. You have children from the marriage with the deceased,
- 2. The marriage lasted at least 10 years,
- 3. You meet one of the following two requirements:
- You were 45 years old or older at the time of the divorce,
- You will turn 45 when the youngest child from the marriage turns 18.
Children Recognized for Widow's Pension Eligibility
Your own children are considered to include the deceased spouse's children living with you who are eligible for an orphan's pension, as well as any children you and your spouse fostered together, provided you adopted them after becoming widowed.
In addition, a woman married to a child's mother is also recognized as a widow with a child if she was married to the mother at the time of birth and the child was conceived in accordance with the law on medically assisted reproduction (Art. 255a, para. 1 CC), thereby establishing legal parentage.
Successive Marriages and Registered Partnerships
If you've been married more than once, the combined duration of your marriages is taken into account when calculating the widow's pension. For same-sex couples who converted their registered partnership into marriage, the years spent in the partnership are also added to the length of the marriage.
Calculating the AVS/OASI Widow's Pension
The AVS/OASI widow's pension isn't a flat amount: it's based on a calculation using the deceased spouse's contributions. This calculation takes into account their career, family situation, and certain credits provided for by law.
1. Which Pension Is Paid If Multiple Entitlements Exist?
When a widow meets the requirements for both a survivor's pension and for a retirement pension or invalidity, she receives only a single pension: the highest high of both. Indeed, the OASI applies a strict principle of non-accumulation of main pensions.
2. Factors Considered in the Calculation
The amount of the annuity depends on the average annual income used for calculation purposes of the deceased spouse, that is, the average income on which he or she paid AVS contributions during his or her working life. This average income is adjusted according to the AVS index to reflect wage levels over the years.
From this average income, a full pension is determined, which is then adjusted based on the situation — for example, if the deceased also has dependent children. The widow's pension amounts to 80% of the old-age pension the husband would have received.
3. How Do I Qualify for a Full Pension?
A full pension (according to scale 44) is granted if the deceased contributed without interruption from the year after they turned 20 until their death. If that's not the case, a partial pension is calculated proportionally to the actual number of years contributed.
The years between ages 18 and 20 can be factored into the calculation to fill any potential gaps. Finally, if the deceased continued working past the AVS/OASI age (65), these additional contributions may, under certain conditions, be taken into account to increase the pension. However, only one recalculation is permitted after the reference age.
4. Calculation of Average Annual Income
The average annual decisive income is the central element for determining the amount of the OASI survivors' pension. It is a weighted average that reflects the insured person's earnings throughout their working life. This average income consists of three main components:
1. Income subject to AVS/OASI contributions: this includes all income from gainful employment declared and recorded on the deceased's individual AVS/OASI account. This income can go back several decades. To ensure fairness across generations, it's automatically revalued to reflect changes in wages and prices in Switzerland over time.
2. Child-rearing credits: these are granted for the years during which the deceased cared for one or more children under the age of 16. These credits are intended to compensate for periods when professional activity may have been reduced in order to raise children.
3. Care credits: in certain cases, if the person cared for a relative requiring significant assistance (e.g., elderly parents or a person with a disability), a specific credit may also be granted.
5. Career Supplement
When the deceased was under 45 at the time of death, their career couldn't run its full course. To prevent this from penalizing survivors, a career supplement is automatically added to the average of insured income.
This supplement takes the form of a percentage surcharge, the rate of which depends on the insured’s age at the time of death. It starts at 100 % at age 23 and then gradually decreases to 5 % at age 45. After age 45, no supplement is applied.
6. Child-Rearing Credit
The child-rearing allowance is an important component of the AVS calculation. It recognizes the contribution of parents who have reduced their work hours (or put their careers on hold) to care for young children.
In 2026, this credit is set at three times the annual minimum AVS/OASI pension, or: 3 × CHF 15,120 = CHF 45,360 per year of child-rearing.
The way this bonus is allocated depends on the family situation:
- Between married spouses, it is shared in equal parts for each calendar year between the year the younger turns 21 and the older reaches the OASI retirement age.
- In the event of divorce or separation, the bonus may be granted entirely to one of the parents, depending on a court judgment, a decision by the child protection authority (APEA), or a mutual agreement between the parents.
7. Final Pension Amount
Once the average annual income has been determined (insured income + credits + any career supplement), the official OASI tables are consulted to determine the exact amount of the monthly pension.
In 2026, the monthly survivor's pension amounts are as follows (for a full contribution period):
- Widow's or widower's pension: between CHF 1,008.00 (minimum) and CHF 2,016.00 (maximum)
- Orphan's pension: between CHF 504 and CHF 1,008 per child
In the case of a partial pension, the amounts are proportionally reduced according to the scale (from 1 to 43).
Caps When Combining Multiple Pensions
When several pensions are paid within the same household (for example, a widow's pension plus two orphans' pensions), legal caps apply. The total amount can't exceed CHF 3,024 per month, or 150% of the maximum AVS/OASI pension.
Thus, if a widow is entitled to CHF 2,016 and each child could theoretically receive CHF 1,008, the total would exceed the cap. In this case, the pensions are reduced proportionally to respect this limit.
Conclusion
The AVS/OASI widow's pension provides essential financial support after the death of a spouse, provided certain criteria relating to family situation and the deceased's AVS/OASI contributions are met. Its amount depends on the deceased's average income, supplemented by any applicable credits. As of 2026, the system still differentiates between widows and widowers, though a reform is underway to introduce a fairer surviving parent's pension.