1. Who is entitled to the CNSS survivors' pension?
The survivors' pension is a long-term benefit paid to the dependents of a deceased insured employee or CNSS pensioner, to offset the loss of household income. Two questions determine the right: who counts as a beneficiary, and did the deceased meet the contribution conditions?
Beneficiaries recognized by the CNSS
A widower has the same rights as a widow: the CNSS simply asks him for a sworn statement (form 310-1-53) confirming that the deceased insured wife contributed to supporting the children.
- The surviving spouse or the deceased's dependent wives (marriage contracted before the death — art. 59 of dahir 1-72-184)
- Dependent children under 16
- Children under 21 if pursuing studies, in Morocco or abroad
- Children under 18 placed in apprenticeship under the legislation in force
- Children with a disability, with no age limit
Conditions on the deceased's side: 3,240 days… or 1,320 since May 2025
The right is open if, at the date of death, the deceased was in one of the following situations: holding a CNSS invalidity or old-age pension; meeting the conditions to receive one (for invalidity: 1,080 days of insurance including 108 in the last 12 months); having at least 3,240 days of insurance; or having died in an accident attributable to a third party — in which case no contribution-length condition applies, as long as the deceased was covered by the scheme at the time of the accident.
Major relaxation since May 1, 2025: 1,320 days are enough
Under law 02.24 and decree 2.25.265, the dependents of an insured person who died on or after January 1, 2023 with at least 1,320 days of insurance (instead of 3,240) can obtain a survivors' pension, with retroactive effect for deaths prior to May 1, 2025. Below 1,320 days, the dependents can claim the refund of the employee and employer contributions paid by the deceased.
2. How much does each dependent receive? The reversion shares
The survivors' pension is computed on the invalidity or old-age pension the deceased was drawing — or could have drawn — at the date of death (art. 60 of dahir 1-72-184). The split is set by law:
| Beneficiary | Share of the deceased's pension | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse (or dependent wives) | 50% | In polygamous households, the 50% is split equally between the wives |
| Each orphan of one parent | 25% | Dependent child: under 16, 21 if studying, 18 if in apprenticeship, no limit if disabled |
| Each orphan of both parents | 50% | Double orphan |
| All orphans combined | 50% maximum | Proportional reduction if individual shares exceed this cap |
| Family total (spouse + orphans) | 100% maximum | Effective cap: 50% spouse + 50% max for orphans |
Source: Wafir.ma — August 19, 2026
Example: a widow with two children under 16 receives 50% + 25% + 25% = 100% of the deceased's pension. With three children, the orphans' shares (3 × 25% = 75%) exceed the 50% cap: they are reduced proportionally to about 16.7% each, and the family still receives 100% in total.
Two complementary rules are worth knowing. First, the effective date (art. 58): if the deceased was already a pensioner, the survivors' pension runs from the first day of the month following the death; if they were still an insured employee, it runs from the first day of the month of death. Second, cumulation (art. 65, as amended by law 17-02): the holder of a survivors' pension may also draw an invalidity or old-age pension earned in their own right, or a work-accident annuity — the text in force expressly allows this combination.
What about remarriage?
The original 1972 text did terminate the pension upon remarriage, but that clause of article 59 was removed by law 17-02 (2004): the version in force only requires the marriage to have been contracted before the death. Amended article 65 furthermore allows combining a survivors' pension with one's own invalidity or old-age pension, or a work-accident annuity. For your specific situation, confirm with the CNSS (customer relations center 3939).
3. Simulation: reversion amounts by the deceased's pension level
The table below illustrates the theoretical monthly amounts paid to dependents depending on the deceased's (actual or reconstituted) pension. Indicative rounded figures, before revaluations and possible deductions (4.52% AMO if the pension reaches 500 MAD).
| Deceased's pension | Spouse alone (50%) | Spouse + 1 orphan (75%) | Spouse + 2 or more orphans (100%) | Orphans alone (50% max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,590 MAD (current minimum) | 795 MAD | ≈ 1,193 MAD | 1,590 MAD | 795 MAD |
| 2,500 MAD | 1,250 MAD | 1,875 MAD | 2,500 MAD | 1,250 MAD |
| 4,000 MAD | 2,000 MAD | 3,000 MAD | 4,000 MAD | 2,000 MAD |
| 4,200 MAD (maximum pension: 70% of the 6,000 MAD capped salary) | 2,100 MAD | 3,150 MAD | 4,200 MAD | 2,100 MAD |
Source: Wafir.ma — August 19, 2026
The reading is stark: a widow alone whose husband drew the 1,590 MAD minimum pension receives 795 MAD per month. According to CNSS statistical reports relayed in the press, the average survivors' pension actually paid is around 960 MAD per month, and a large share of the pensions paid falls between 500 and 1,000 MAD — subsistence income, not replacement income.
Two changes announced under the pension reform should mechanically improve these amounts, since the reversion is computed on the base pension: the +8% revaluation of CNSS pensions spread over three years (+3% in 2027, +2.5% in 2028, +2.5% in 2029, with an extra +5% from 2027 for pensions below 2,000 MAD), and the planned gradual increase of the minimum pension from 1,590 MAD toward the minimum wage (3,422 MAD) under bill 65-25, in steps between 2027 and 2030 — both to be tracked, subject to implementing regulations.
4. The death grant: an immediate lump sum of 10,000 to 12,000 MAD
Distinct from the survivors' pension, the death grant is a one-off capital paid to the relatives who were actually dependent on the deceased, to cover immediate expenses (notably the funeral).
- Amount: between 10,000 and 12,000 MAD depending on the case; if the beneficiary is an unrelated third party (whoever paid for the funeral), between 5,000 and 6,000 MAD
- In case of death from a work accident: 5,000 MAD is deducted from the total grant (covered under work-accident legislation)
- Order of priority: surviving spouse or wives, failing that the descendants, then the ascendants, then brothers and sisters, then the person who paid the funeral costs
- Where the deceased supported several wives, the grant is split equally between them
- Conditions on the deceased's side: receiving daily sickness benefits or job-loss compensation (or meeting their conditions — for daily sickness benefits: 54 days of contributions in the previous 6 months), holding an invalidity or old-age pension, or death from an accident attributable to a third party
- Deadline: the claim must be filed within 9 months of the death, except in duly justified cases of force majeure
Pension and grant can be combined
The death grant (single lump sum) and the survivors' pension (monthly annuity) are two distinct benefits: the same family can receive both. The claim form is in fact shared (reference 317-1-01, "claim for benefits following the insured's death").
5. Procedures, forms and deadlines: the TAAWIDATY walkthrough
Claims are filed online on the TAAWIDATY platform (taawidaty.cnss.ma) or at any CNSS agency. Deadlines vary with the deceased's situation:
| Deceased's situation | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| 3,240 days or more, or 1,080 days including 108 in the last 12 months, or death from an accident | 12 months from the date of death |
| Death on or after May 1, 2025 with 1,320 to 3,239 days | 12 months from the death |
| Death between January 1, 2023 and April 30, 2025 with 1,320 to 3,239 days (retroactive regularization) | 24 months from May 1, 2025 |
| Death grant (all situations) | 9 months from the death, except force majeure |
Source: Wafir.ma — August 19, 2026
Beware of late filing: if the pension claim is filed after the regulatory deadline, the pension only takes effect on the first day of the month following the filing, with no back payment for elapsed months. Every month of delay is a month of pension permanently lost.
The documents in the file
- Claim form for benefits following the insured's death (reference 317-1-01)
- Copy of the deceased's national ID card and of the claiming spouse's (or residence permit for foreigners)
- Death certificate extract + medical certificate stating the cause of death (or attestation from the local authorities)
- Copy of the marriage certificate and copy of the deed of inheritance (acte d'hérédité)
- Undertaking to return funds transferred after the pensioner's death (form 310-1-22)
- Children's birth certificate extracts + school certificates for studying children
- For a widower: sworn statement (310-1-53) confirming the deceased wife's contribution to the children's upkeep
- For a guardian: guardianship deed issued by the court + the guardian's national ID
- Special cases: police or gendarmerie report in case of an accident, divorce deed and child custody certificate in case of divorce
6. AMO after the death: the family stays covered
Health coverage does not stop with the insured's death. Article 35 of law 65-00 guarantees that dependents (spouse and children) with no other mandatory health insurance scheme keep the AMO benefits of the deceased's scheme for two years from the death.
Beyond that, the pensioners' AMO takes over: holders of CNSS pensions — survivors' pensions included — amounting to at least 500 MAD per month benefit from AMO, with a 4.52% contribution withheld directly from the pension. Children remain covered as dependents of the surviving parent: up to age 21, 26 if in higher education without paid work, and with no age limit in case of disability.
The reflex to have in the weeks after the death
File the survivors' pension claim, the death grant claim (shared form 317-1-01) and the AMO status update for the dependents at the CNSS agency at the same time. One trip, three rights secured.
7. Moroccans abroad: the reversion when the deceased contributed overseas
Morocco has signed bilateral social security agreements with almost all the main host countries of Moroccans living abroad — France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Canada and Quebec in particular. These agreements cover survivors' pensions: the liquidation rules applicable to personal pensions (totalization of insurance periods, pro-rata calculation) also apply to the reversion.
Concretely, the Morocco-based widow or orphans of a Moroccan who contributed in France can receive the French reversion pension in Morocco: the Franco-Moroccan convention of October 22, 2007, in force since June 1, 2011, lifts residence clauses. The claim is filed with the CNSS, the liaison body, which forwards it to the competent foreign fund (CNAV/CARSAT for France). If the deceased contributed in both countries, Moroccan and foreign periods are totalized to open the right, and each fund pays its pro-rata share. Host-country-specific conditions (spouse's age, means-testing, sharing between wives) remain governed by the applicable legislation and convention — check case by case.
8. The wafir.ma angle: the reversion is not enough — plan ahead with insurance
The survivors' pension is a precious but structurally limited safety net: at best 100% of a capped pension, most often 50 to 75% of an already modest amount, paid after one or several months of administrative lead time. Three complements deserve consideration while the insured is alive:
- Term death insurance: for an annual premium, it pays your beneficiaries a predefined lump sum (often 100,000 to 1,000,000 MAD depending on the contract) if you die during the coverage period — the only tool guaranteeing a significant immediate amount, independent of your CNSS contribution history
- Life insurance / savings: savings contracts from Moroccan insurers and bancassurers pass to the designated beneficiaries and complement the reversion with a lump sum or annuity
- Death-disability insurance attached to loans: check that your mortgage and consumer loans carry it — upon death, the insurer settles the outstanding capital and the family keeps the property, debt-free
- Supplementary schemes: if the deceased contributed to the CIMR or a retirement savings plan, additional reversion rights may top up the CNSS — ask each institution
A sensible order of priority for a 30-to-50-year-old breadwinner: first secure the death coverage of ongoing loans, then a term death policy whose capital represents 3 to 5 years of income, finally transferable savings. Our life and death insurance comparator helps you price each option with Moroccan insurers.
9. FAQ — CNSS survivors' pension
Q.Who is entitled to the CNSS survivors' pension?
Q.How much is the CNSS reversion pension?
Q.How many contribution days are required for the survivors' pension?
Q.What is the deadline to claim the CNSS survivors' pension?
Q.What documents are needed for the survivors' pension claim?
Q.How much is the CNSS death grant?
Q.Does a widow keep her CNSS pension if she remarries?
Q.How is the pension shared between several wives?
Q.Do children keep AMO health coverage after their father's death?
Q.My husband died in France as an MRE — am I entitled to a pension in Morocco?
Will the CNSS reversion be enough for your family?
A survivors' pension is often just 50% of an already modest amount. A life or death insurance policy pays your loved ones an immediate lump sum on top of the CNSS. Compare Moroccan insurers' contracts in 3 minutes, free and with no commitment.
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