Couples with children gain widowed pension rights after two years of cohabitation
Unmarried partners who share children will be eligible for a widowed pension if they prove continuous cohabitation for the two years before applying.
A forthcoming decree-law aims to grant widowed pension benefits to cohabiting partners who have children together, as long as they can demonstrate at least two years of uninterrupted cohabitation prior to the claim, using only a certificate of residence. This change places them on equal footing with married couples and registered partnerships that already qualify. For childless registered partnerships, the existing five-year cohabitation rule remains unchanged.
The government argues the reform reduces legal formalities that have caused protection gaps and litigation. A one-year window will allow those affected by past deaths to apply, though no estimate of beneficiaries has been provided. The proposal is part of a broader social-security reform package being pushed before the upcoming elections.
Why it matters
It expands social-security protection to many families living together without formal marriage.
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