The money, amounting to 50% of the deceased person's retirement benefit, will be paid to the surviving spouse each month.
The same amendments also introduce additional payments for those pensioners who retired in 1996, by €1.5 per year of employment.
According to estimates by the State Social Security Agency, the benefit for surviving spouses of pensioners will cost the state €8 million a year, while additional payments to people who retired in 1996 will cost €1.03 million this year.
