The Grace Quarter: The First Three Months
In the weeks after a death, costs pile up that nobody planned for: the funeral, the grave, the notice in the paper, often outstanding bills as well. At the same time an income disappears. It is precisely this gap that the grace quarter is meant to bridge — three months in which the survivor's pension is still paid in full.
Which months exactly are meant
The grace quarter covers the three calendar months following the month of death. If a partner dies on 12 March, that means April, May and June. The month of death itself is not included: the deceased's pension is still paid in full for it, whatever the date of death. In this example the reduced widow's pension therefore begins only in July.
Why it is a hundred percent
Technically this comes down to the pension type factor. It is 1.0 during this period, then 0.55 for the large and 0.25 for the small widow's pension. A factor of 1.0 means you receive exactly the amount the deceased drew, or would have drawn, as a pension. The second and often underrated advantage: during these three months your own income is not offset at all, because offsetting only begins once the factor drops below 1.0. If you keep working or draw a pension of your own, the full partner's pension comes on top of it.
What actually reaches your account
Only health and long-term care insurance contributions are deducted: 7.3 percent health insurance plus half your fund's additional contribution, averaging 1.45 percent in 2026, and 3.6 percent care insurance — 4.2 percent for childless people aged 23 and over. So €1,600 gross becomes roughly €1,402 net, and €2,000 becomes about €1,753. Over three months the first case yields a little over €4,200. How that compares with the ongoing pension from month four is shown side by side in the Widow's Pension Calculator.
The advance: money within days
It often takes weeks before a pension notice arrives. To stop a hole opening up in the meantime, you can request an advance on the grace quarter. Where the deceased was already drawing a pension, this can be arranged informally through the pension service at a post office branch. You will usually need the death certificate, your identity document and the deceased's insurance number. Payment normally follows within a few working days.
The advance is later set off against the approved pension. That makes it all the more important to file the actual pension application promptly — the advance does not replace it, and it does not extend the twelve-month deadline.
The deceased's pension runs to the end of the month
A common misunderstanding: the deceased's pension is paid for the whole month of death and does not have to be repaid pro rata. Amounts already transferred for later months, however, are reclaimed by the pension service. Report the death as early as possible so that no repayment demand arises that you later have to settle from the estate.
What happens from the fourth month
From month four the pension type factor and income offsetting take effect at the same time. The drop is substantial: €1,402 net can become around €814 with the large widow's pension, and only about €351 with the small one. Use the three months deliberately to review ongoing costs — insurance policies, subscriptions, vehicle contracts — and adjust the household to the new level.
The grace quarter counts for tax as well
The higher payment during the grace quarter is still a pension and therefore relevant for tax. The taxable share depends on the year in which the pension begins. Whether tax is actually due depends on your other income; many survivors stay below the threshold in the first year. Only a tax adviser can give you a reliable answer on that.
For a first sense of the amounts across all three phases, use the Widow's Pension Calculator. The values shown there are estimates based on the applicable parameters — only your official pension notice is binding.