Pension rights

Survivor’s pension

Members of the immediate and extended family of a deceased Croatian Homeland War veteran are entitled to a survivor’s pension

The amount and requirements for receiving a survivor’s pension under the Act depend on whether you are:

1) a member of the immediate and extended family of a deceased Croatian Homeland War veteran:
  • if you are a spouse or extramarital partner of a deceased Croatian Homeland War veteran, you can exercise your right to a survivor’s pension when you reach the age of 40
  • if you are a child of a deceased Croatian Homeland War veteran, you can receive a survivor’s pension during full-time schooling and after the completion or termination of full-time schooling if you are not employed or a beneficiary of a vocational work-related training measure without establishing an employment relationship, for a period of no more than 12 months after the completion or termination of full-time schooling, i.e. until the day you reach the age of 26
  • if you are the parents of a deceased Croatian Homeland War veteran, you may be entitled to a survivor’s pension when you reach the age of 50.
2) members of the immediate family of a deceased disabled Croatian Homeland War veteran:
  • if you are a spouse or extramarital partner of a deceased disabled Croatian Homeland War veteran who was granted the right to allowance for care and assistance provided by another person until their death, and who died due to illness or injury occurring outside the circumstances of defending the sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia, you may be entitled to a survivor’s pension when you reach the age of 40
  • if you are a child of a deceased disabled Croatian Homeland War veteran who was granted the right to allowance for care and assistance provided by another person until their death, and who died due to illness or injury occurring outside the circumstances of defending the sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia, you are entitled to a survivor’s pension during full-time schooling and after the completion or termination of full-time schooling if you are not employed or a beneficiary of a vocational work-related training measure without establishing an employment relationship, for a period of no more than 12 months after the completion or termination of full-time schooling, i.e. until the day you reach the age of 26
3) members of the immediate family of a deceased Croatian Homeland War veteran:
  • if you are a spouse or extramarital partner of a deceased Croatian veteran (who does not have the status of a deceased Croatian veteran or the status of a disabled Croatian Homeland War veteran), you may be entitled to a survivor’s pension from the age of 50
  • if you are a child of a deceased Croatian veteran (who does not have the status of a deceased Croatian veteran or the status of a disabled Croatian Homeland War veteran), you are entitled to a survivor’s pension during full-time schooling and after the completion or termination of full-time schooling if you are not employed or a beneficiary of a vocational work-related training measure to work for as without establishing an employment relationship, for a period of no more than 12 months after the completion or termination of full-time schooling, i.e. up to the day you reach the age of 26.

Application of the provisions of this Act to persons who have retired pursuant to the Act on Pension Insurance Rights of Active Military Personnel, Police Officers and Authorised Officials

The provisions of the Act on Croatian Homeland War Veterans and their Family Members regulating the pension insurance rights do not apply to veterans who have earned or will earn a pension pursuant to the Act on Pension Insurance Rights of Active Military Personnel, Police Officers and Authorised Officials. The Act on Pension Insurance Rights of Active Military Personnel, Police Officers and Authorised Officials already contains benefits, so the special legal regime under that Act cannot be additionally combined with the legal regime and benefits under another special law, i.e. this Act. Such a position has been taken in a number of judgments of the High Administrative Court.