Financial help after a death in France

Money worries often add to the grief: an income that stops, funeral costs to pay. Several forms of help exist, but none arrives on its own: you have to apply.

The essentials

If the deceased was an employee, the CPAM pays a €4,009 death grant, to be claimed within a month by those who were dependent on them, otherwise within two years. The surviving spouse can claim the survivor's pension from age 55, or the widowhood allowance before that. Also look for a life insurance policy.

The steps, in order

  1. 01

    Apply for the death grant

    If, in the three months before death, the deceased was an employee, on paid unemployment, on sick leave or receiving a disability pension, the CPAM (or MSA) pays €4,009 (amount as of April 1, 2026), tax-free. Those who were dependent on them take priority if they apply within a month; otherwise the spouse, the civil partner, the children and then the parents have two years.

  2. 02

    Apply for the survivor's pension

    The spouse or ex-spouse, from age 55, can receive 54% of the deceased's basic pension, subject to income limits (€25,001.60 a year for a single person in 2026). A Pacs or cohabitation does not give entitlement. A single online application on info-retraite.fr covers almost all schemes.

  3. 03

    Apply separately to Agirc-Arrco

    If the deceased worked in the private sector, their supplementary pension also pays a survivor's pension, with no income limit. It is not part of the common application: you have to apply separately.

  4. 04

    Under 55: the widowhood allowance

    If the deceased had contributed for at least three months in the year before death, a surviving spouse under 55 who lives in France, is not in a new relationship and has modest means can receive it for up to two years, up to €719.58 a month. If claimed within twelve months, it is paid from the month of death.

  5. 05

    Look for a life insurance policy

    Anyone can ask, free of charge and with a death certificate, whether the deceased had taken out life insurance: the Agira service informs every insurer, and they contact the beneficiaries directly.

  6. 06

    Ask the employer, the bank and the health insurer

    A company protection plan, loan insurance or a health insurer may pay a lump sum or repay a loan. Write to each with the death certificate.

Frequently asked questions

Are these benefits paid automatically?

No. The death grant, the survivor's pension and the widowhood allowance must be claimed, each from its own fund. Deadlines start from the death.

Is a civil partner (Pacs) entitled to the survivor's pension?

No: the survivor's pension is reserved for married people, even if divorced. A civil partner can, however, receive the death grant.

Can the death grant be combined with the survivor's pension?

Yes. The death grant is paid once, and the survivor's pension is added afterwards if the conditions are met.

What if the deceased was a civil servant, self-employed or a farmer?

The rules and amounts differ by scheme: civil service, self-employed, MSA. The deceased's fund tells you what applies; the online survivor's pension application covers most schemes.

No deadline forgotten

In your Milele file, the death grant, the survivor's pension and the other formalities of the month are listed for your country, and legal deadlines are calculated from the date of death. Share the list with a loved one to split them between you.

Open a file for free

Read also

Official sources

Updated on October 25, 2026. This guide summarises the usual steps; it does not replace advice from a notary, a lawyer or your country's authorities. How we write our guides

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