How much has the funeral aid reached and who can benefit

The new pension law, Law no. 360/2023, brought significant changes regarding funeral aid, expanding the categories of people who can benefit from this financial support offered by the state.

Starting from September 2024, two new categories of Romanians have been added to the list of those eligible for these amounts, so that families are better supported in difficult times.

Who benefits from funeral aid?

According to the new regulations, the following categories of Romanians can receive funeral aid:

• Insured persons at the time of death.
• pensioners.
• Romanians on parental leaveprovided that they were compulsorily insured before entering the leave.
• Family members of an insured or retired person, even if they were not insured or retired at the time of death.
• Family members of a person on parental leave.

Amounts offered and terms of payment

Funeral aid is granted in two variants:

• 7.567 lei for the death of an insured person or retirement.
• 3.784 lei for the death of a family member of an insured person or retirement.

The benefit can be paid to only one person who can prove that they have borne the funeral expenses, such as a spouse, parent, child, legal guardian or any other person who can prove it.

Documents required to obtain funeral aid

In order to benefit from the funeral aid, the applicant must submit the following documents:

1. Application for death benefit (annex no. 11).
2. Death certificate of the deceased person (original and copy).
3. The identity document of the applicant (original and copy).
4. Civil status documents of the applicant, certifying the degree of kinship with the deceased or, as the case may be, the documents proving the capacity of guardian, curator, trustee (original and copy).
5. Proof of the expenses caused by the death (original and copy).
6. Medical act issued or endorsed by the expert doctor of social insurance, certifying the illness that led to the incapacity and the date of its occurrence, in the case of an unfit child over 18 years old (original).
7. Certificate attesting that the family member between the ages of 18 and 26 was following a form of education (original).
8. Certificate from the employerwhich certifies the insured status on the date of death or an extract from REVISAL, as the case may be.
9. Declaration on own responsibility from the applicant, if the family member was not insured or retired.

How to get help?

To receive the funeral aid, the applicant must present himself with all the necessary documents to the territorially competent pension house. It is important to note that although financial support is very helpful, it does not cover the initial costs of arranging a funeral, so families must pay out of pocket before receiving the reimbursement.

Expanding the categories of people eligible for this aid represents a significant support for families going through difficult times. Adding people on parental leave and uninsured family members to the list of beneficiaries helps increase accessibility to this essential financial support.

These measures come in a context where the costs of organizing a funeral can put considerable financial pressure on families. Thus, the changes brought about by the new pension law help to ensure wider and fairer support for those who need help in such circumstances.