How to qualify for Survivors' Pension

YOU MUST

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

TIME REQUIREMENT

• Be a survivor (widow/widower, child or parent) of a deceased insured contributor, who was receiving or was entitled to receive Retirement or Invalidity Benefit

• WIDOWER
- Must be an invalid without any source of income, who was fully dependent on deceased spouse

• Be married or living in commonlaw relationship with deceased insured person for three or more years

• CHILDREN
- Includes biological, step children or adopted children of the deceased insured contributor.

• PARENTS
- Must be 55 years or over.  Qualified only if the deceased has no widow/widower or children.  Declaration signed by a Justice of the Peace declaring that there are no surviving beneficiaries and that he/she was mainly maintained by the deceased insured contributor.

• Present Social Security card or birth certificate of all survivors claiming benefit

• Present death certificate of insured contributor signed and dated by a registered doctor in Belize

• Social Security card or birth certificate of deceased insured contributor.

• When spouse is applying, present marriage certificate or valid declaration to prove common-law union

• WIDOW Must:
- Have care of deceased insured contributor's children or be pregnant for deceased insured contributor

- Be 50 years or over

- Have been spouse of deceased for no less than 3 years

• WIDOWER Must:
- Be permanently incapable of self-support and was wholly dependent on the deceased

• Submit completed claim on  prescribed form (SVB1) for widow(er) & children AND (SVB4) for parent(s) signed and dated by the claimant

Please click here to download required forms
SVB1 & SVB4

• Claim should be made within 13 weeks after date of death of insured contributor

• If claim is not submitted within the 13 weeks a good reason must be given by the claimant

How much and for how long is the Survivors' Pension?

Rate of Benefit Payment

Period of Benefit Payment

• Formula: Sum of insurable earnings in best 3 years of contributions ÷ 150 x 30% = weekly pension

*OR

• If less than 500 paid or credited contributions, 25% of Average Weekly Insurable Earning

• INDIVIDUAL PORTIONS
- widow/widower: 66.67%
- invalid children: 40%
- other children: 25%
- parent: 40%
If maximum benefit (100%) is exceeded, each share is reduced accordingly

• As of date of death of insured contributor, for as long as the survivors continue to meet the qualifying conditions

• Widow(er) benefit stops upon remarriage

• Benefit for children (not invalid), continues up to 16 years or if receiving full-time education up to 21 years  

• WIDOW:
- If the widow meets all the qualifying conditions, she gets Survivor's Pension for life, but if the conditions are not met, she gets 52 weeks' pension payments.

YOU MUST

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

TIME REQUIREMENT

• If the deceased insured contributor is not entitled to either a Retirement or an Invalidity Pension, but has at least 26 paid contributions, then a grant is payable to his/her survivors (widow/widower, child or parent)

• WIDOWER
- Must be an invalid without any source of income, who was fully dependent on deceased insured spouse, for three or more years

• CHILDREN
- Includes biological, step children or adopted children of the deceased insured contributor

• PARENTS
- Must be 55 years or over. If the deceased insured contributor has no widow/widower or children, parents can claim

• Present Social Security card or birth certificate of all survivors claiming benefit

• Present death certificate of insured contributor signed and dated by a registered doctor in Belize

• Social Security card or birth certificate of deceased insured contributor.

• When spouse is applying, present marriage certificate or valid declaration to prove common-law union

• WIDOW Must:
- Have care of deceased insured contributor's children or be pregnant for deceased insured contributor

- Be 50 years or over

- Have been spouse of deceased for no less than 3 years

• WIDOWER Must:
- Be permanently incapable of self-support and was wholly dependent on the deceased

• Submit claim on prescribed form (SVB1) for widow(er) & children AND (SVB4) for parent(s)

Please click here to download required forms
SVB1 & SVB4

How much is the Survivors' Grant?

Rate of Benefit Payment

Period of Benefit Payment

• Formula: 6 x sum of insurable earnings in best 3 years of contributions ÷ 150 x units of 50 contributions

*OR

• 2.5 x sum of weekly insurable earnings ÷ no. of contributions x units of 50 contributions(whichever is higher)

• INDIVIDUAL PORTIONS
- widow/widower: 66.67%
- invalid children: 40%
- other children: 25%
- parent: 40%

• If maximum benefit (100%) is exceeded, each share is reduced accordingly

• One-time payment