German widow’s pension and your own income in 2026
Your own wages or pension only reduce a German widow’s pension above an allowance, and then only in part. How much depends on the kind of income.
Worked through by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
How much your income takes off the widow’s pension
Widow’s pension after the test
€767
| Your income after the flat deduction | €1,204 |
| Allowance | €1,122.53 |
| Deduction (40% of the excess) | €33 |
Your own income is counted against a German widow’s pension (Witwenrente), but only in part (section 97 SGB VI). First the gross income is turned into a flat-rate net figure: wages lose 40 %, an own statutory pension starting after 2010 loses 14 % (section 18b SGB IV). From that net figure an allowance (Freibetrag) of 26.4 times the current pension value is left untouched: €1,122.53 a month since July 2026, €1,076.86 before. Each child entitled to an orphan’s pension adds €238.11. Of whatever remains, 40 % is deducted from the widow’s pension. So wages up to €1,870.88 gross or an own pension up to €1,305.27 reduce nothing. Example: the large widow’s pension from a €1,600 pension is €880; with €1,400 of own pension €847.41 is left, with €2,500 of wages €729.01. Nothing is counted in the first three months after the death.
Three steps from your income to the deduction
The test follows a fixed pattern set out in section 97 SGB VI. First, each kind of income is turned into a flat-rate net figure under section 18b SGB IV. Second, the allowance is subtracted from that net figure. Third, 40 % of what is left is withheld from the widow’s pension. Which income counts at all is listed in section 18a SGB IV; Riester payments are not among it.
The pattern applies to the large and the small widow’s pension alike. With the small pension of €400 (deceased’s pension €1,600) and €2,500 of wages, €249.01 is left, because the deduction of €150.99 is the same as for the large one. Which of the two applies to you is explained under large or small widow’s pension.
Flat deductions by type of income
| Income | Flat deduction | No cut up to, gross | Per €100 above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wages | 40.0 % | €1,870.88 | −€24.00 |
| Civil servant’s salary | 27.5 % | €1,548.32 | −€29.00 |
| Self-employed profit | 39.8 % | €1,864.67 | −€24.08 |
| Own statutory pension, started after 2010 | 14.0 % | €1,305.27 | −€34.40 |
| Own statutory pension, started before 2011 | 13.0 % | €1,290.26 | −€34.80 |
| Civil service pension, started after 2010 | 25.0 % | €1,496.71 | −€30.00 |
| Company pension taxed on payout, started after 2010 | 23.0 % | €1,457.83 | −€30.80 |
| Private pension | 12.7 % | €1,285.83 | −€34.92 |
| Investment income | 25.0 % | €1,496.71 | −€30.00 |
The range is wide. Because wages lose a flat 40 %, someone in work keeps far more room than someone with a private pension, which loses only 12.7 %: €1,285.83 of private pension already uses up the allowance. With several kinds of income the net amounts are added together, and the allowance applies only once.
Allowance and orphan’s pension
If a child entitled to an orphan’s pension lives with you, the allowance rises by 5.6 times the pension value.
| Children with orphan’s pension | Net allowance a month | Wages with no cut, gross |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | €1,122.53 | €1,870.88 |
| 1 | €1,360.64 | €2,267.73 |
| 2 | €1,598.75 | €2,664.58 |
| 3 | €1,836.86 | €3,061.43 |
With one such child and €2,500 of wages the deduction drops from €150.99 to €55.74, so €824.26 of the large widow’s pension is left instead of €729.01. When the child’s entitlement ends, the extra allowance goes too.
Four cases worked through
| Case | Gross | Net after flat rate | Deduction | Widow’s pension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Own pension since 2011 | €1,400 | €1,204 | €32.59 | €847.41 |
| Wages | €2,500 | €1,500 | €150.99 | €729.01 |
| Wages, one child with orphan’s pension | €2,500 | €1,500 | €55.74 | €824.26 |
| Civil service pension since 2011 | €2,000 | €1,500 | €150.99 | €729.01 |
Even with €2,500 of wages most of the widow’s pension survives. The widow’s pension calculator takes your own figures, several children and the choice between the new and the old rules.
The first three months and the start date
For the first three months after the death the full pension of the deceased is paid, with no income test (section 67 SGB VI); on €1,600 that is three payments of €1,600. Only then do the reduced rate and the allowance apply. If the deceased had started the pension early with a reduction, the reduction carries over into the widow’s pension (section 77(3) SGB VI). The widow’s pension starts in the month the conditions are met, but no more than twelve months before the application (section 99 SGB VI), so a late claim from abroad can lose money.
When the test takes everything
The widow’s pension stops being paid when 40 % of the excess reaches its full amount. For a large widow’s pension of €880 without children, that happens at wages of about €5,538 gross. Watch the switch from wages to your own pension: an own pension loses only 14 % under the flat rate, so it counts for more than wages of the same gross amount. Earning €1,800 keeps you just under the limit for wages, but an own pension of €1,800 costs €170.19 of widow’s pension a month. Under Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 the pension itself is not reduced because you live in another EU state. If you are on a disability pension yourself, see earnings with a disability pension.