Social Security grants a lifetime pension to children over 45 years of age who have cared for their parents during the two years prior to their death.

Social Security allows children over 45 years of age who have dedicated part of their lives to caring for their parents to access a lifetime pension after their death. This benefit, known as pension for family membersis designed above all for those who were financially dependent on the deceased and who, when the deceased dies, are left without the economic income that normally came from the pension of one or both of the deceased parents.

Of course, it is not enough to be over 45 years old or to have taken care of one’s parents during the last years of their life; apart from these main conditions, other minimum requirements must be met. And to access this financial aid, it is necessary to have lived with them and to have been financially supported for at least the last two years prior to death, in addition to demonstrating that you were the person in charge of taking care of them. All this apart from other economic and family requirements that must be met.

This benefit is regulated in article 226 of the General Social Security Law, approved by the Royal Legislative Decree 8/2015October 30. Its objective is to compensate for the financial need that arises after death, in those cases in which the beneficiary depended on the income of the deceased and is not entitled to another public pension.

Requirements for children over 45 years of age to collect the pension of their deceased parents

Article 226.2 of the General Social Security Law establishes that “the right to a pension will be recognized for the children or siblings of beneficiaries of contributory retirement and permanent disability pensions” when they meet a series of conditions.

Specifically, the regulations require “having lived with the deceased and in their care”, “being over forty-five years of age and single, divorced or widowed”, “proving prolonged dedication to the care of the deceased” and “lacking their own means of living”.

In this way, children must demonstrate that they were financially dependent on their parents and that they do not have sufficient income to support themselves. Those who are judicially separated can also access.

The official Social Security website clarifies that the beneficiaries must “lack means of subsistence, due to having economic income equal to or less than the minimum interprofessional wage”, in addition to not having family members with the obligation and possibility of providing them with food.

On the other hand, it is important to note that this type of pension is intended for children of retirement or permanent contributory disability pensioners, as well as certain cases in which the deceased met the requirements to access these pensions.

How much is charged for the pension for family members in 2026

The amount of the pension for family members is calculated by applying, in general, 20% of the deceased’s regulatory base. Therefore, not all beneficiaries receive the same amount, since the amount depends on the contributions of the person who originates the right.

Now, there are minimum guaranteed amounts that are updated every year. According to Royal Decree 39/2026, the minimum amounts for this exercise are the following:

• 286.50 euros per month per beneficiary, in general.
• 651.90 euros per month when there is a single beneficiary under 65 years of age and there is no spouse or children of the deceased entitled to a pension.
• 691.70 euros per month when the only beneficiary is 65 years or older, under the same circumstances.

These minimum amounts are conditional on compliance with the income limits established for minimum supplements.

Furthermore, when there is no spouse receiving the widow’s pension or children entitled to the orphan’s pension, the pension for family members can be increased in accordance with the established distribution rules.

Finally, it is worth remembering that this pension is for life, but is not unconditional, since it can be extinguished if the established requirements are no longer met. The application must be submitted to the National Social Security Institute (INSS), preferably as soon as possible, since the retroactive economic effects are generally limited to three months.