Orphan's pension on the death of an official
Verified 28 January 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
One of your parents passed away and he was a civil servant? You can collect, under certain conditions, a orphan's pension.
We present you with the information you need to know.
To receive the orphan’s pension, you must meet one of the following conditions:
- Be under 21 years of age
- Or be, on the day of death your mother or father who is an official, at least 21 years of age and to your parent's effective charge due to a permanent disability which makes it impossible for you to earn a living
- Or be affected, after death from your mother or father but before your 21ste birthday, a permanent disability which makes it impossible for you to earn a living.
There is no length requirement between your birth or adoption and the removal of your mother’s or father’s executives.
You are considered unable to earn a living when your disability does not allow you to work or when your gross professional income is less than €1,104.25 per month in the 12 months prior to the death of your parent.
Applications for orphan’s pensions are made on the official public website, Pension Info.
This simulator allows you to check if you are entitled to an orphan’s pension.
Please note
This simulator also allows the surviving spouse of the deceased official to check whether he or she is entitled to a survivor’s pension.
At the end of the process, if you are entitled to an orphan’s pension, you can apply online by clicking on Request my reversion.
By clicking the button My Credentials, you will get a list of attachments to your application.
If you don't have a scanner, you can use the application My Retirement Account to scan your credentials.
The orphan’s pension shall be equal to 10% the retirement pension of your deceased public servant parent or the retirement pension that he or she could have received on the day of his or her death.
If your deceased employee parent was or could have been invalidity pension (on account of invalidity attributable to service), the orphan’s pension shall be increased by 10% the amount of the invalidity pension.
You can also take advantage of all or part of the survivor's pension if your other parent has died or is not entitled to the survivor's pension.
The survivor's pension shall be equal to 50% the retirement pension which your deceased official parent was or could have been receiving.
Example :
- Your parent public servant has died and your other parent is alive: you receive an orphan's pension (10% retirement pension of the deceased official)
- Your two parents have died: you receive the survivor's pension (50% retirement pension of the deceased official) and an orphan’s pension (10% retirement pension of the deceased official)
- Your parent civil servant has died, he was remarried and his/her spouse is alive, your other parent (ex-spouse) is not entitled to the survivor's pension: you receive half the survivor's pension (the other half is paid to his/her spouse) and an orphan's pension.
The total amount of survivor’s and orphan’s pensions may not exceed the amount of the retirement pension and, possibly, the invalidity pension which the deceased official was or could have been receiving.
In the event of overrun, the orphan’s pension shall be temporarily reduced.
If you receive an orphan's pension because of a permanent disability that makes it impossible for you to earn a living, the orphan's pension cannot be combined with any other pension or annuity from a general scheme to the extent of the amount of these benefits.
FYI
If your two parents died and were civil servants, it is possible to cumulate the reversion of your father and your mother.
The orphan (and survivor’s) pension may be granted from the day following the day of death.
Orphan’s (and survivor’s) pension shall be paid at the end of the month following that in which death occurred.
The orphan's pension is paid until your 21ste birthday. If you are under the age of 18, it is paid to your legal representative unless you are enfranchised.
If you are unable to earn a living, the pension is paid to you as long as you meet the conditions to receive it. It shall cease to be paid in the following situations:
- You stop being unable to earn a living
- Your gross business income exceeds €1,104.25 per month
Orphan’s pension may be reinstated if your employment income falls below the authorized ceiling.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Your parent was a government official
State Pension Service (SRE)Your parent was a territorial or hospital official
National Pension Fund for Local Government Officials (CNRACL)
Articles L40 to L43
Simulator
Online service
State Pension Service (SRE) - Ministry of Public Finance
National Pension Fund for Local Government Officials (CNRACL)
Additional Public Service Pension Institution (PSPRA)
State Pension Service (SRE) - Ministry of Public Finance