National Pension survivor benefit claim

Procedure

Procedure

1. 01

   1. Check whether the deceased meets the eligibility conditions — Under National Pension Act Article 72, a survivor pension is paid when an old-age pension recipient, a person with 10 or more years of coverage, a person who paid contributions for at least one third of the coverage period, a person who paid contributions for at least 3 years in the 5 years before death (excluded if contributions were in arrears for 3 years or more during the coverage period), or a recipient of a disability pension of grade 2 or higher dies. Some conditions do not apply to deaths during periods of overseas emigration or loss of nationality, so confirm the contribution history with the Service first.

2. 02

   2. Determine who qualifies and in what order — Survivors are, in order, the spouse, children (under 25 or with a disability), parents (60 or older or with a disability, including a spouse's parents), grandchildren (under 19 or with a disability) and grandparents (60 or older or with a disability), who were supported by the deceased. The pension is paid only to the highest-ranking survivor, and if several people share the same rank the amount is divided equally. The standard for proving dependency is set by Presidential Decree, so income and asset records may be needed.

3. 03

   3. Prepare the claim form and documents and file with the Service — Under Article 22, paragraph 10 of the Enforcement Rule of the National Pension Act, submit the survivor pension claim form (Form No. 17) to the National Pension Service together with a copy of the claimant's ID, a detailed family relation certificate, a document proving the death such as a death certificate, and the disability occurrence and death circumstances report. If an agent files the claim, a copy of the beneficiary's ID is also required.

4. 04

   4. Receive the decision and check the amount — The survivor pension is 40% of the basic pension amount for coverage under 10 years, 50% for 10 to under 20 years, and 60% for 20 years or more, plus the dependent family pension amount. If the deceased was an old-age pension recipient, the amount cannot exceed the old-age pension the deceased was receiving. After receiving the decision, check that the amount and the beneficiary determination are correct, and if you object, confirm the review request deadline stated in the notice.

5. 05

   5. Manage suspension and termination reports during receipt — A spouse beneficiary may have the pension suspended after 3 years of payment until age 55 (not suspended if the spouse has a disability, supports a child under 25, or is not engaged in work with income above the set level). If entitlement ends through remarriage, death or other causes, a termination report must be filed with the Service within 30 days under Article 29 of the Enforcement Rule, and a change report for another survivor taking over entitlement is also due within 30 days.

Filing route

Filing route

Deadlines & processing notes

Deadlines & processing notes

Fees & official charges

Fees & official charges

Included in the basic fee — Initial document review, required-document guidance, basic form preparation, one filing support and responses to up to two supplement requests.

Conditional success fee — For this service, any conditional success fee may be separately agreed within the lawful service scope and stated in a written engagement agreement. No outcome is guaranteed.

Displayed amounts are starting estimates, not statutory or standard rates. The final fee is confirmed after consultation and document review in the engagement agreement. Government fees and actual expenses may change.

Basic documents

Basic documents

The right to receive benefits expires after 5 years, so check the contribution history early after the death. If a reason arises for entitlement to end or pass to another survivor, a report must be filed with the Service within 30 days.