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Official information and services: belgium.be Belgian Federal Public Services

Your family situation

The government has reached an agreement on the pension reform.
  • We are adapting the overview on our webpage Pension reform as fast as possible.
  • These decisions are currently being converted into legislation and because of this, we do not have all the details yet.
  • Therefore, we cannot as yet inform you about the exact conditions or whether you qualify.
  • As soon as a definitive text is published:
    • we will automatically apply this new legislation to your future pension;
    • we will adapt our website and mypension.be,
    • you will find this text at our webpage Pension reform.

You do not have to do anything.

Your family situation may influence your pension amount. Find out here what the consequences are for your pension in case of:

Marriage

The influence of the marriage depends on the type of pension you receive

Retirement pension

You receive a retirement pension as an employee or self-employed worker? If so, the Pensions Service calculates your pension on the basis of the amount as a single person. In certain cases, we can raise your pension until it reaches the household rate amount (your pension as a single person multiplied by 1,25).

Find out more about the calculation of the pension on the basis of the household rate.

The Pensions Service automatically calculates the most advantageous situation for you and your family:

  • one pension at the household rate for you both;
    or
  • two pensions at the amount as a single person: one for you and one for your spouse.

You have a retirement pension as a civil servant? In that case, your pension cannot be converted into a household rate pension.

Survivor's pension or transitional allowance

We suspend your survivor's pension or transitional allowance from the month following your marriage.

You are once again entitled to the survivor’s pension if:

  • you get divorced;
  • you have your marriage annulled;
  • your spouse passes away.

Find out more about the survivor's pension

Pension as a divorcee

We suspend your pension as a divorcee from the month following your marriage.

This pension is once again awarded in the case of a:

  • divorce;
  • decease;
  • annulment of the marriage.

Find out more about the pension as a divorcee

Guaranteed Income for Elderly Persons

We calculate your Guaranteed Income for Elderly Persons anew to take the means of support of the entire family into account.

Find out more about the Guaranteed Income for Elderly Persons

Cohabitation

Your pension amount does not change when you cohabit.

Two pensioners who cohabit, both receive a pension on the basis of the amount as a single person. The household rate is only awarded to married persons.

Attention: you receive a Guaranteed Income for Elderly Persons (GIEP)? In that case, we may have to readjust your GIEP to take the means of support of all people living under the same roof into account.

Find out more about the Guaranteed Income for Elderly Persons

Divorce

If you receive a household rate pension and get divorced, we automatically reduce your pension amount to a pension calculated on the basis of the amount as a single person.

If your ex-spouse worked as an employee, you may in certain cases be entitled to a pension as a divorcee.

Find out more about the pension as a divorcee.

De facto separation

You are de facto separated if:

  • you and your spouse have different places of primary residence (as is shown in the municipal register);
    or
  • you have legally separated by means of a judicial settlement;
    or
  • you or your spouse
    • is in prison;
    • has been placed in an institution for the protection of society;
    • has been confined due to mental health issues.

You may be entitled to a pension as a de facto separated spouse. The Pensions Service will automatically investigate whether you are entitled to a pension as a de facto separated spouse when we receive your new address through the National Register.