ANW: what survivors actually get in the Netherlands

If you do nothing

• Most surviving partners get no ANW at all — since 1996 it has been limited to survivors with a child under 18 or a serious work disability.
• Families plan around a benefit they assume exists, then face the gap with no buffer.
• The gross-to-net difference is large (EUR 1,668.49 gross vs EUR 1,332.91 net in 2026), and the income ceiling (EUR 3,617.28/month) cuts it further.

If you decide now: check whether your household qualifies, and if not, size the gap and cover it through life insurance or savings. Record policies and the plan in Money & Accounts in the app.

What ANW is for

The ANW is a state benefit for nabestaanden (next of kin) of a person who was insured under the Dutch social security system. It is paid to a surviving partner, and in some cases to a half-orphan child whose parent has died. It is not a pension based on contributions: it does not depend on how many years the deceased worked, only on whether they were insured at the date of death. Living or working in the Netherlands generally creates the insurance.

The benefit is paid by the SVB and is meant as basic income support, not as full income replacement.

Who qualifies

Three conditions must all be met.

1. The deceased was insured under ANW at the date of death (lived or worked in the Netherlands).
2. The surviving partner is below AOW (state pension) age. In 2026 the AOW age is 67.
3. The surviving partner meets at least one of the following:
   • has a child under 18 living at home, or
   • is pregnant, or
   • has a work disability of 45 percent or more, assessed by UWV.

If the surviving partner has no child under 18, is not pregnant and has no qualifying disability, there is no entitlement to ANW, regardless of income or the deceased's work history. Most surviving partners under 67 fall into this category. This is the largest practical surprise about the benefit.

These conditions date from 1 July 1996, when the ANW replaced the older AWW (Algemene Weduwen- en Wezenwet), under which a much wider group of surviving spouses received a benefit, often for years. In 2015 the rules changed again: the kostendelersnorm (cost-sharers' rule) was introduced and the separate half-orphan benefit was abolished. Today about 20,000 people receive a nabestaandenuitkering (SVB, 2025).

For unmarried couples, the SVB checks whether you ran a joint household (same main address, caring for each other); a cohabitation contract helps as evidence.

What the benefit pays in 2026

Amounts are set by the SVB and adjusted twice a year (1 January and 1 July). The 2026 figures from 1 January are:

[Source: SVB, ANW-bedragen vanaf 1 januari 2026.]

For survivors who share their home with another adult aged 27 or over (the kostendelersnorm), a lower amount applies — gross EUR 1,082.43 per month from 1 January 2026 — whether or not that person contributes to the costs. There are some exceptions; the SVB can tell you whether the rule applies to you. [Source: SVB.]

Survivors whose entitlement began before 1 July 1996, under the old AWW, fall under separate transitional rules. The SVB can tell you which apply.

The vakantie-uitkering is paid out as a lump sum each May, not added to the monthly payment.

Income deduction: why the maximum is rarely paid

ANW is means-tested against the surviving partner's own income. If the survivor earns from work, the benefit is reduced.

The SVB rule: a fixed portion of gross monthly income from work is disregarded, and only two-thirds of any income above that floor reduces the benefit. A partner pension from the deceased's employer scheme does not reduce ANW. Other benefits (WW, WIA, ZW) are deducted in full; income from work or an early own pension is partly disregarded.

If gross income from work exceeds a ceiling (EUR 3,617.28 per month in 2026, indexed), the ANW falls to zero. [Source: SVB, Inkomsten en uw nabestaandenuitkering. Specific 2026 thresholds adjust twice a year.]

The practical pattern: a surviving partner with a child under 18 who works part-time may receive a partial ANW. A surviving partner who works full-time at average Dutch wages typically receives nothing, even if they technically qualify on the disability or child criterion.

Wezenuitkering: benefit for orphans

If both parents die, the SVB pays a wezenuitkering (full-orphan benefit) for each child until age 16, or up to 21 if the child is studying or has a disability. The amount depends on the child's age and is published by the SVB.

A halfwezenuitkering (half-orphan benefit, for a child who has lost one parent) was abolished as a separate payment in 2015. Since then, a single parent receives extra support through the kindgebonden budget (the alleenstaande-ouderkop), paid by the Belastingdienst/Toeslagen. [Source: Rijksoverheid.]

How to apply

The SVB usually contacts a surviving partner automatically after the death is registered with the gemeente (municipality), but it is sensible to apply directly.

1. Go to svb.nl/nl/anw and start the online application using DigiD, or request a paper form.
2. Attach the akte van overlijden (death certificate from the gemeente), proof of cohabitation if relevant, information on the surviving partner's income, and details of any children under 18.
3. The SVB pays from the date of death once the claim is approved. Processing typically takes several weeks.

What to plan for if you do not qualify

Because most surviving partners under 67 do not receive ANW, the practical question is what does cover income loss.

The main answers in the Netherlands:

• Partner pension (nabestaandenpensioen) from the employer pension scheme. Most Dutch pension schemes pay a partner pension after a participant's death. Coverage and amounts vary widely between schemes; the 2023 pension reform changed the rules for accrual, especially after a job change. Check the most recent pension overview from the deceased's pensioenfonds.
• Overlijdensrisicoverzekering (term life insurance). A pure life insurance policy that pays a lump sum on death within a defined period. Typically taken with a mortgage, sometimes as a stand-alone policy.
• Savings and the deceased's estate. Subject to the rules on bank account access and erfbelasting.

The ANW remains a safety net for a specific situation: a surviving parent with young children, or a survivor unable to work. For everyone else, it is rarely the answer.

In the app

In Money & Accounts you record your pension funds, whether your partner is registered for the partner pension, and any term life insurance policies — the contacts your family will need to write to within the first weeks. You fill it in at your own pace. When you are ready, the app turns it into a Zorgmap PDF that you print or give to the person you trust.

Request access →

Closed beta -- access by invitation.

Sources

1. SVB -- ANW pages, 2026 amounts and income rules. https://www.svb.nl/nl/anw and https://www.svb.nl/nl/anw/bedragen-en-betaaldagen/bedragen-nabestaandenuitkering
2. Rijksoverheid -- Algemene nabestaandenwet (ANW), background, the 1996 change from AWW and the 2015 changes. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/algemene-nabestaandenwet-anw
3. SVB -- Income deduction rules for ANW. https://www.svb.nl/nl/anw/inkomsten-en-uw-nabestaandenuitkering
4. SVB -- SVB in cijfers (number of ANW recipients). https://www.svb.nl
5. Ministerie van SZW -- uitkeringsbedragen per 1 januari 2026. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl