Income test for a widower


​Calculation of the widower's income

  • A widower may be entitled to a survivors pension if the amount of his income is up to NIS 7,146 (as of Jan 01, 2024). In the eligibility examination, all widower's income are taken into account.
  • Concerning a person who has work income as salaried employee or self-employed, income from retirement pension or a monthly income first paid upon reaching retirement age, such as provident fund or any other insurance program entailing a monthly income - a sum of NIS 1,905 (as of Jan 01, 2024) will be deducted from these incomes for the purpose of examining eligibility.
    For instance: an insured person with retirement pension income amounting to NIS 7,200, after deduction of NIS 1,905 (as of Jan 01, 2024) - his income will be NIS 5,396. Based on this income, he may be entitled to a survivors pension if he meets the other conditions of entitlement.

A widower receiving an old-age pension and working as a self-employed or non working

  • The amount of the old-age pension is taken into account in full for the purpose of calculating eligibility for a survivors' benefit.
  • If he is a salaried employee - the amount of the old-age pension is not taken into account.

Widower receiving survivor's pension by force of his deceased wife's entitlement

  • If he works as a salaried employee – then this income shall be taken into account for the purpose of calculating eligibility for the benefit after deducting a certain amount therefrom.
  • If he works independently or does not work – then this income is taken into account in full.

Widower receiving benefit for victim of hostile action or to disabled from Nazi persecution paid by the Ministry of Finance

  • If he works as a salaried employee – then this income is not taken into account.
  • If he works independently or does not work – then this income is taken into account in full.

Period for which income is examined

For purposes of checking a widower's eligibility for a survivor's pension, your income is examined in the 12 months preceding the wife's death (including the month of death) or in the calendar year in which the wife died (from January to December of that year). Beginning in January of the first year after the wife's death, your income is examined according to every calendar year (January to December of each year).

For your convenience, here is a calculator to check your entitlement to a survivors' pension.