Death

The death of a loved one is associated with grief and pain. At the same time, one is confronted with numerous formalities. The following information is intended to help you take the necessary steps with the Novartis Pension Funds.

Notification of Novartis Pension Funds

The death of an associate must be reported to the line manager or the Human Resources department of Novartis.

Once notification has been received, the Novartis Pension Funds will be informed about the death of the associate. We will then contact you in writing and inform you of the next steps.

Benefits

The pensions consultant of Novartis Pension Funds will be happy to inform you about the requirements for claiming entitlement.

Pension payments

The provisions of the law regarding pension payments are as follows.

  • Spouse’s pension (where applicable also for divorced persons)
  • Domestic partner’s pension
  • Orphan’s pension

Lump sum payments

If an insured person dies before reaching the age of 65, a lump sum on death will be paid out to the beneficiary.

Further information

The provisions for spouses also apply by analogy to persons in a registered partnership as defined in the Partnership Act (PartG).

Information sheet on domestic partner’s pension
Form – support agreement
Form – sequence of beneficiaries

FAQ

What does my spouse get if I die?

The surviving spouse/registered partner receives 60% of the insured or current retirement or disability pension (provided the marriage has lasted at least 5 years or the surviving partner has one or more dependent children. If neither of these conditions is met, the surviving partner receives a one-off lump sum equivalent to three years of the spouse’s pension). If the person receiving the pension dies before the age of 65, a lump sum on death also falls due.

What does my domestic partner get if I die?

All the following conditions have to be met for entitlement to the domestic partner’s pension:

  • The insured person and his/her domestic partner are not married.
  • The two domestic partners are not related.
  • The partners can proof that they have lived in the same household and mutually supported each other for the last five years before death, or they have one or more children with each other
  • The support agreement was filed with the pension fund during the deceased partner’s lifetime.
  • In the case of pension recipients, the conditions were met at the time of the first pension payment.
  • The conditions set forth in the regulations for the spouse’s pension are met (by analogy).

I am 58, widowed, and intend to marry again. Will I now lose my spouse’s pension?

Yes, because you are not yet 60. In this case, you will receive a one-off settlement equivalent to three annual pensions. If you were to marry after the age of 60, you would continue to receive the spouse’s pension unchanged for the rest of your life.

Do I lose my widow’s pension from the Novartis Pension Fund with the start of my state pension payments?

No, widow’s and widower’s pensions are basically lifelong pensions. However, the entitlement to a supplement to the widow’s or widower’s pension as defined in the regulations only applies if and as long as you are not receiving (cannot receive) any pension or disability benefits from the state.

I am a pensioner, married to a partner from abroad and have no children. Does my spouse receive a spouse’s pension after my death, even if she returns to her native country and is also very much younger than I am?

If a married insured person dies before or after retirement, then his/her surviving spouse is entitled to a spouse’s pension provided that, on the death of the spouse, he/she

a) has one or more dependent children or
b) is older than 35 and the marriage has lasted at least 5 years.

Pensions are paid into the internal staff current account with Novartis, from where the payment can then be transferred to any private account (in Switzerland or abroad) as instructed.

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