AOW rights and LAT relationships: what do you need to know?

Questioner

My partner and I have had two completely separate households for 20 years and we entered into a registered partnership shortly before my retirement, which means that my partner is entitled to a survivor's pension if I die (my pension fund stipulates that you must be married, a registered partner or cohabiting). The Social Insurance Bank (SVB) has reduced my originally planned AOW pension for a single person to that for a married/registered partner or cohabitant. However, we do not share a household in any way and have no plans to do so for the time being. So we have a LAT relationship and the SVB indicates in its own brochures that you keep your single pension with a clear LAT relationship. What is my AOW right as a registered partner with a LAT relationship? *E

Lawyer

The problem is that you want something that is not possible. For the pension fund, you want to be registered as a partner because your partner can then claim a survivor's pension. The SVB uses the principle that even if married persons or registered partners do not live together, they are still only entitled to the pension amount for married persons. Possible solution is only if you object and indicate that you are registered partners but permanently separated. You must then be able to demonstrate that this is the case.