How much does a widow receive from her husband's pension in Spain: amounts and requirements
When one spouse dies, the other is usually entitled to a widow's pension . As specified by Social Security , this amount can be considered a contributory benefit.
However, to be eligible for it, both the deceased and the survivor must meet certain requirements . The fundamental objective of this pension is to prevent the loss of purchasing power or economic vulnerability of the eligible recipient, especially if the deceased was the one who provided the majority of the family's income.
First of all, it should be noted that one is entitled to a widow's pension if the relationship with the deceased was through marriage, common-law partnership, or even separation , as long as the beneficiary has not remarried or formed another common-law union.
As for the deceased , they are entitled to a pension as long as they were registered with the general scheme or in a similar situation. If they were not registered, they must have a minimum contribution period of 15 years. Likewise, there is no minimum contribution period if the death was due to an accident, whether work-related or not, or an occupational disease.
Other options include receiving or being entitled to a contributory retirement pension, being a permanent disability pensioner, or being entitled to temporary disability leave.
As for the surviving member of the couple, they must also meet a series of requirements .
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He or she was the deceased's spouse and there are common children, or if there are no children, if the marriage was celebrated at least one year before the death. Otherwise, a temporary widow's benefit may still be available.
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He or she was divorced or legally separated from the deceased and was receiving a compensatory pension that expires upon death. Since January 1, 2013, those over 65 who are not entitled to another pension and whose marriage lasted more than 15 years are also entitled to a widow's pension, without needing to be a recipient of a supplementary pension.
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She was the deceased's common-law partner, registered in the corresponding autonomous community or municipal registry at least two years before the death. It is necessary to prove stable cohabitation for the five years prior to the death, and that, during those five years, neither of them was married or separated from another person. The survivor's income must not have reached 50% of their own income plus that of the deceased, or 25% in the case of no common children.
As explained by Social Security, the pension amounts to 52% of the regulatory base , although it can reach 60% in certain cases. It can even reach 70% in cases of dependent family members and low income.
In the event of legal separation or divorce, if there are no other potential beneficiaries, the full amount is due by applying these percentages. Otherwise, it is calculated proportionally to the length of cohabitation, with 40% going to the surviving spouse or common-law partner with legal rights.
On the other hand, the regulatory basis to which these percentages are applied will be the same as that used to determine the deceased's retirement or permanent disability pension . There are also some criteria in this regard.
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If the deceased was working, the regulatory base will be the quotient resulting from dividing the sum of the interested party's contribution bases by 28 over an uninterrupted period of 24 months. This period will be chosen by the beneficiaries within the immediately preceding 15 years.
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In the event of death due to an occupational accident, the regulatory basis will be the quotient of dividing by 12 the sum of the worker's daily salary and seniority on the date of the accident or sick leave multiplied by 365 days.
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Since 2016, when the beneficiary of a widow's pension is a woman who has two or more children, whether biological or adopted, a maternity supplement will be applied consisting of an additional percentage of the pension calculated according to the previous sections. This percentage will be 5% for two children, 10% for three children, and 15% for four or more children.
There are also legal minimums in case the calculation is lower.
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Minimum amount 9,275 euros per year for people under 60 years of age
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Minimum amount of 11,452 euros per year for those between 60 and 64 years old
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Minimum amount of 12,241.60 euros per year for those over 65 years of age or minors with disabilities.
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Minimum amount of 15,786.40 euros per year for those who also have family dependents
Like all other pensions, widow's pensions receive two additional payments, in June and November. The amount is also revalued each year in accordance with the pension law.
In June 2025, the average widow's pension in Spain was 935 euros per month , while the extra payment for this type of pension was 912.8 euros.
It should be noted that the widow's pension is compatible with any earned income and with the retirement or permanent disability pension to which one is entitled. However, two widow's pensions cannot be combined unless contributions to the two schemes overlap for at least 15 years. If one of them comes from the SOVI (Sociable Social Security System), it cannot be double the minimum widow's pension for beneficiaries aged 65 or over.
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