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Receive death benefits for surviving dependents from statutory accident insurance

If a member of your family has died as a result of an accident at work or on the way to work, or as a result of a recognized occupational disease, you can receive death benefits from the statutory accident insurance.

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Procedure details

Death benefits support the relatives of deceased persons who were covered by statutory accident insurance. The relevant employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund pays the death benefit so that you do not have to pay for the funeral alone.

An application is not necessary.

You will receive death benefits if you

  • have borne the costs of the funeral of your or your loved one,
  • if no funeral has taken place, for example because your family member has disappeared,
  • if you have paid for the funeral of a person who is not a member of your family. This is only possible if there are no survivors who are entitled to the death grant.

The death grant is

  • for survivors: one seventh of the so-called reference amount applicable at the time of death

for persons who do not belong to the family: a maximum as high as the death grant.

  • Death is the result of an accident at work or on the way to work, or as a result of a recognized occupational disease.
  • You have paid for the funeral.
  • You are a survivor or survivor's beneficiary. This includes:
    • Widows or widowers,
    • children,
    • stepchildren,
    • foster children,
    • grandchildren,
    • brothers and sisters,
    • former spouses or wives,
    • and parents, grandparents, parents of illegitimate children, adoptive parents, and great-grandparents, if applicable.
  • If you paid for the funeral but are not a survivor or survivor's beneficiary: Reimbursement is only available if there are no survivors who are entitled to the death benefit

  • Required Documents

    For eligible persons who are not survivors:

    • Proof of payment and amount of funeral expenses.

You do not have to apply for the surviving dependents' death benefit. The employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund will inform you to enable you to register your claims.

You can also contact your Workers' Compensation Board or Accident Insurance Fund online or by mail.

Online service:

  • Call up the online service.
  • You will be guided through the process on the accident insurance service portal.
  • You can register.
    • If you would like to receive the response from your workers' compensation insurance association or accident insurance fund in the mailbox of your BundID account or My Company Account, you must have an account and authenticate yourself.
    • If you would like to receive the answer by mail, you can also proceed without logging in.
  • Select your responsible employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund or determine it using the industry search.
  • Upload the required documents.
  • Fill out the online form and submit it.
  • Your report will be automatically forwarded to your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund.
  • You will receive a response via the requested channel.

Online service of your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund:

  • If you have access to the portal of your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund, you can also submit the notification electronically there, if necessary.

Message by mail:

  • Contact your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund with an informal letter.
  • Make sure to include required information and enclose the necessary documents.

There are no costs involved.

There is no deadline.

4 bis 6 Wochen

  • Appeal
  • Detailed information on how to lodge an appeal can be found in the notification from your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund.

Status: 10.03.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales
Source: Federal Portal