Question:
We are Greek citizens. My father worked legally in Cyprus for three years. In 2009 he died.
After his death, my mother according to the law had to write an application to the social security
office and get money owed to my father from the Pension Fund. For some reason, my mother has
never received the money. Is it possible to write a statement and get the money today after more
than 5 years after the death of father? How to do it and where to apply? Does it matter for how
many years my father had worked in Cyprus and how much money he had transferred to the
Pension Fund?
Response:
Widow / widower pension is paid to working, self-employed and voluntary contributors
(contributions for retirement). Widow’s pension is aimed for women who lived with her husband
until his death. The pension is paid even if the husband did not reached retirement age by the
date of his death, but had worked for at least 156 working weeks and received three insurance
points (the term of social security). This can be found by referring directly to the social insurance
office where these figures are calculated.
Widow’s pension is calculated from the date of her husband’s death and paid over a lifetime. In
order to obtain a pension, the applicant must submit an application YKA 3-014 in the Social
Security office. Application for widow’s pension may be submitted at any Social Security office.
The application must be accompanied by the following documents:
- Marriage certificate;
- Death certificate;
- Confirmation from the local notary (mukhtar) that the couple was living together;
- Birth certificate of the husband;
- The birth certificate of each dependent child;
- Certificate from the bank indicating the IBAN of the applicant.
Unfortunately, in your case, your mother, most likely, cannot apply for a widow pension due to
the fact that three years her husband comprise only 144 working weeks (according to the law
must be 156 weeks). In any case, you need to send a letter to the Director of Social Security and
explain the whole situation. Officer will review your application, will make all necessary
calculations and will give you a full consultation.