The amount of the death benefit has not increased to date, although increases are expected at the beginning of each year. The state also grants this type of aid in the event of the death of a family member of the insured/pensioner, but the amount is different.
At the beginning of each year the amount of death benefit granted through territorial pensions is expected to increase. In years in which the state social security law is adopted before January 1, the increase applies from January 1. When the approval of the national budget is delayed, the adoption of the social insurance law is also delayed and, as a consequence, the communication of the new amount. The amount of the death benefit is equal to the value of the average gross salary used to base the state social insurance budget.
According to the data available on the website of the National Public Pension House (CNPP), between 2001 and 2025, the latest increase in the death benefit occurred in 2019, for the period 1-14 March 2019, it was in the amount of 4,162, and from 15 March 2019 – 5,163 lei, 2019 being also the year with one of the highest increases.
In the table below you can find the amount of the death benefit for the period 2001 – 2025.
Until the adoption of this year’s state social insurance law, the amount of the death benefit remains 8,620 lei, and in the case of the death of a family member of the insured person or the pensioner, the value of the death benefit is 4,310 lei (half of the amount of the benefit granted for the death of the insured person/pensioner).
In which cases it is granted, who are the beneficiaries
The death benefit is granted in the event of death:
• the insured;
• the pensioner;
• the person who, in the last 6 months prior to death, had the status of insured in the public pension system, regardless of the contributions made during this period;
• to the person on child-rearing leave up to the age of 2, and in the case of a disabled child up to 3 years, respectively up to 7 years, if, before entering the leave, the person in question was compulsorily insured;
• to a family member of the insured, the pensioner or the person on parental leave, who was not insured or a pensioner on the date of death.
Who benefits in the event of the death of the pensioner/insured/person on parental leave
If the person who died is the insured, the pensioner or the person on parental leave, the death benefit is granted to a single person, who proves with documents that he has borne the expenses caused by the death and who can be, as the case may be:
• the surviving spouse;
• the child;
• the parent;
• any natural/legal person.
Who benefits in the case of an uninsured family member
In the event of the death of an uninsured family member, the insured, the pensioner or the person on parental leave, the death benefit is granted to the insured, the pensioner or the person on parental leave whose family member has died.
Who are the uninsured relatives for whom aid can be requested
The law clearly establishes which are the relatives for whom the insured/pensioner/person on parental leave can request funeral aid.
According to the details on the CNPP website, a family member, in the sense of the law, can be:
• the husband/wife;
• own children, adopted children, children in foster care or those entrusted to raise and educate the family, aged up to 18 or, if they continue their studies, until they finish, without exceeding the age of 26 or children regardless of age if they lost their ability to work before reaching the age of 18, respectively 26 years;
• in the situation where the deceased family member was a child unfit for work, aged over 18, the death benefit is granted on the condition of presenting a medical document issued or signed by the social insurance expert doctor, certifying the cause that made him unfit for work and the date of its occurrence;
• in the situation where the deceased family member was a child aged up to 18 years inclusive, the death benefit is granted regardless of whether he was studying or not;
• in the case of the death of the child over 18 years old, without exceeding 26 years, the death benefit is granted if he is continuing his studies.
• the parents (in-laws) and grandparents of any of the spouses.
The aid can be requested within 3 years
The death benefit is paid within 3 working days of the request, as follows:
• in the event of the death of the insured/pensioner or the person on parental leave by the territorial pension house in whose radius the deceased person was domiciled;
• in the event of the death of an uninsured family member of the insured/pensioner or the person on parental leave – by the territorial pension house within whose radius the insured/pensioner or the person on parental leave who requests death benefit for the family member is domiciled.
The death benefit can be requested within the general limitation period of 3 years, calculated from the date of issuance of the death certificate.
The necessary documents for the death benefit request
I. In the situation where the death benefit is requested by the natural person, in case of death:
• the insured;
• the pensioner;
• to an uninsured family member, pensioner, insured or person on parental leave,
the necessary documents, as the case may be:
• application for the granting of death benefit (annex no. 11 to the rules);
• death certificate, in original and copy;
• identity document of the applicant, in original and copy;
• the civil status documents of the applicant, showing the status of husband/wife, respectively the degree of kinship with the deceased, in original and copy, as the case may be;
• proof that the applicant has borne the expenses caused by the death, in the original;
• certificate certifying that, on the date of death, the family member between the ages of 18 and 26 was following a form of education organized according to the law, in the original, as the case may be;
• medical document issued or endorsed by the social insurance expert doctor, certifying the disease that made him unfit and the date of its occurrence, in the case of the unfit child over 18 years old, in the original, as the case may be;
• proof of the quality of being insured in the public pension system, as the case may be;
• holographic declaration on the person’s own responsibility of the person requesting the death benefit that the family member, on the date of death, was not insured or retired, as the case may be;
• special power of attorney, as the case may be;
• account statement, as applicable.
II. In the event of the death of the insured, the pensioner or the person on parental leave, death benefit can be requested by a legal entity, based on the following documents:
• application for the grant of death benefit (annex no. 12 to the rules);
• death certificate in original and copy;
• the power of attorney of the person representing the legal entity, as the case may be;
• identity card of the legal representative/authorized person of the legal entity;
• proof that the legal entity has borne the expenses caused by the death, in original, as the case may be;
• service contract with the legal entity, as the case may be;
• special power of attorney by which the legal entity is mandated to submit the documents and collect the death benefit, as the case may be;
• proof that the person who mandated the legal entity has borne the death expenses, as the case may be;
• proof of the quality of the insured, as the case may be;
• account statement.
III. In the event of the death of an uninsured family member, pensioner, insured or person on parental leave, death benefit can be requested by a legal entity, based on the following documents:
• application for the grant of death benefit (annex no. 12-b to the rules);
• special power of attorney by which the legal entity is mandated to submit the documents and collect the death benefit;
• death certificate in original and copy;
• the power of attorney of the person representing the legal entity, as the case may be;
• identity document of legal representative/authorized person of the legal entity;
• the civil status documents of the insured/pensioner whose family member has died, showing the status of husband/wife, respectively the degree of kinship with the deceased, in original and copy, as the case may be;
• proof of eligibility to be insured in the public pension system, as the case may be;
• proof that the insured/pensioner, whose family member has died, has borne the expenses caused by the death, in the original;
• holographic declaration on his own responsibility that the family member was not insured or retired;
• certificate certifying that, on the date of death, the family member between the ages of 18 and 26 was following a form of education organized according to the law (original), as the case may be;
• medical document issued or endorsed by the social insurance expert doctor certifying the disease that made him unfit and the date of its occurrence, in the case of the unfit child over 18 years old, in the original, as the case may be;
• service contract with the legal entity, as the case may be;
• account statement.
Why is the original death certificate required?
Applicants should also know that after making the payment of the death benefit, at the headquarters of the territorial pension house, the payer has the obligation to write on the back of the original death certificate, on the basis of which the death benefit is requested, the mention “PAID”, the date, the signature and the stamp.
The same mention is made if the death benefit is paid by bank transfer or postal order. In this case, the payer has the obligation to write on the back of the original death certificate, on the basis of which the death benefit is requested, the mention “PAID by bank transfer/postal order”, the date, the signature and the stamp.
