To ensure that the financial consequences of a death remain manageable for the survivors, married persons, persons in a registered partnership, and eligible life partners are entitled to a partner’s pension. In addition, children are entitled to orphan’s pensions up to the age of 25 provided they are still in education or training. There is now also an entitlement to a capital payment for persons who are already retired if they die within five years of retirement (link to information on capital protection).
Depending on the pension plan, an additional death lump sum may also be insured. Voluntary purchases are generally also taken into account as additional lump-sum death benefits. Would you like to know whether you have additional insured lump-sum death benefits? You can find the relevant amounts on your insurance certificate under “Death lump sum” and “Additional lump-sum death benefit”.
Important
Partners are not automatically designated as beneficiaries in occupational benefits provision. For this purpose, the insured person must register their life partner during their lifetime by submitting a beneficiary’s declaration so that the partner can be taken into account for survivors’ benefits. We particularly recommend that persons living in a civil partnership as well as anyone with an insured death lump sum or additional lump-sum death benefit consider submitting a beneficiary’s declaration.
What do I have to do?
Who is to receive the lump-sum death benefits and to what extent can be defined in a beneficiary’s declaration. For greater flexibility, it is also possible to allocate the lump-sum death benefit to specific groups of persons regardless of an existing partnership. The order of priority is as follows:
- Group a: spouse/registered partner
- Group b: the life partner (only with a beneficiary’s declaration)
- Group c: the person responsible for the maintenance of one or more joint children (only with beneficiary’s declaration)
- Group d: the natural persons who were financially supported by the insured person (only with beneficiary’s declaration)
- Group e: the children in accordance with Art. 252 of the Swiss Civil Code (ZGB)
- Group f: parents
- Group g: siblings
- Group h: the other statutory heirs (up to half of the lump-sum death benefit)
By means of a beneficiary’s declaration, Group A can be combined with other groups or ranked below them, and the lump-sum death benefit can be proportionally allocated within a group according to your wishes.
And how does that concern me?
For persons living in a civil partnership, it is advisable in any case to consider submitting a beneficiary’s declaration. A joint place of residence is no longer required. It is sufficient if the civil partnership has lasted at least five years at the time of death. The new rules also bring important changes for married persons and registered partners: The lump-sum death benefit is now automatically allocated solely to the spouse or registered partner and no longer has to be shared with children entitled to orphan’s benefits. All children – regardless of age – are now automatically treated equally with regard to the lump-sum death benefit.
So when should I complete a (new) beneficiary’s declaration?
A beneficiary’s declaration is advisable if you wish to deviate from the new standard (i.e. if you do not wish to benefit only a possible spouse). For example, if you would like your spouse and your children to receive the lump-sum death benefit, a beneficiary’s declaration is required. A beneficiary’s declaration is also required if you have been living in a cohabiting partnership with your partner for at least five years and your partner is to receive your lump-sum death benefit. The examples mentioned are not exhaustive – the new approach of Asga allows more complex family and relationship structures to be appropriately taken into account.
We therefore encourage you to make use of the option to determine the allocation yourself by submitting a beneficiary’s declaration. We recommend that you review your personal situation even if you are married, living in a registered partnership, or have already submitted a beneficiary’s declaration.
Please let us know how you would like to arrange the designation/appointment of beneficiary. Further information has been compiled for you below.
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