Transitional allowance ('death benefit')

Members’ survivors are entitled to a transitional allowance, which is intended to make it easier for them to adapt financially to their new circumstances. This allowance and similar benefits are paid in respect of retired civil servants and pensioners in general, and most collective agreements provide for this kind of welfare arrangement for employees. If the deceased was a Member of the Bundestag for more than eight years or for more than two electoral terms, the allowance amounts to one and a half times the monthly rate of Members’ remuneration. It used to serve to cover funeral costs too, which is why it was called ‘death benefit’. Following the abolition of the death benefit which was formerly awarded under the statutory health-insurance scheme, however, a corresponding reduction of €1,050 was made in the transitional allowance for Members of the Bundestag.