How Do Pensions Work for Spouses?

If death is before retirement, the spouse usually is eligible for an annuity if the employee had sufficient age and service to qualify for early retirement benefits; the size of the annuity depends on the pension the worker would have received if he or she had opted for early retirement.

When a husband dies does the wife get his pension?

A surviving spouse can collect 100 percent of the late spouse's benefit if the survivor has reached full retirement age, but the amount will be lower if the deceased spouse claimed benefits before he or she reached full retirement age.

Does your wife get half your pension?

A pension is considered joint marital property. However, if you had pension contributions before you were married, those are still considered individual property and cannot be split. This means that the value of your pension is not always the whole value of it.