There may be benefits due to your loved ones if you die after you retire. These benefits can include one or more of:
Survivors’ pensions are paid monthly. However, the lump sum death grant is a one-off payment. You can choose who you’d like to have your death grant. However, payment is at the discretion of the fund, although we’ll usually be guided by your wishes. Your death grant doesn’t form part of your estate.
Survivors’ pensions become due the day after you die.
You must tell us about a member’s death as soon as possible so we can work out what benefits are due. If you’re telling us about a death, you should have the following information:
We’ll write to the next of kin and ask to see the death certificate. We may also ask for information about marital status and ‘eligible’ children.
When we know who should receive a survivors pension and/or death grant, the benefits will be worked out and paid.
A Death Grant may be due if you’re under 75 when you die. This depends on when you retired.
Retirements if you left the LGPS before 1 April 1998
The death grant is worked out based on if you have more or less than ten years service counting towards your pension.
Retirements on or after 1 April 1998 but before 1 April 2008
If you died within five years of retirement there was a death grant due. This five-year period has now passed.
Retirements on or after 1 April 2008 but before 1 April 2014
If you die before your 75th birthday, a death grant is due. This would be ten times your pension, less the amount of pension already paid out to you at the date of death.
Retirements on or after 1 April 2014- post 2014 benefits only
If you die before your 75th birthday, a death grant is due. This would be ten times your pension (ignoring any pension given up increasing your retirement grant) less the amount of pension already paid to you at the date of death, and any retirement grant commuted.
Retirement for a pensioner with benefits from 2008 and 2014 schemes
The death grant would be worked out based on the rules in place for each period of your membership.
A survivors’ pension may be due to your loved ones. This depends on your scheme membership.
Retirements before 1 April 2008 and short term pensions
If you left the LGPS before 1 April 2008, a short term pension paid at a higher rate may be due to your surviving spouse or civil partner for three months (or six months if there's an eligible child in the care of your surviving spouse or civil partner).
This pension is usually the same as your pension. However, if you are a woman, the short term pension due to your husband may be based on your membership of the LGPS after 5 April 1988 only. Also, if you entered your civil partnership or married after leaving the LGPS, the amount of short term pension due may be less than your pension.
The benefits after the short term pension ends, and where no short term pension is due, are generally worked out as shown below:
Spouse's (from opposite and same sex marriages)
Membership from 1 April 2014 = 1/160th of the pay you received in each year, plus a proportion of any transfer rights.
Membership up to 31 March 2014 = 1/160th of your final pay times your membership up to 31 March 2014 (the membership upon which your deferred benefit is based).
However, if you married after leaving the LGPS:
Civil partners
Membership from 1 April 2014 = 1/160th of the pay you received in each year, plus a proportion of any transfer rights.
Membership up to 31 March 2014 = 1/160th of your final pay times your membership up to 31 March 2014 (the membership upon which your deferred benefit is based).
However, if you entered into a civil partnership after leaving the LGPS, membership is from 6 April 1978 (or when you joined the LGPS if later).
Eligible Cohabiting partner (same or opposite sex)
For a cohabiting partner to get a survivor's pension, you must have paid into the LGPS on or after 1 April 2008. Your relationship has to meet certain conditions laid down by the LGPS.
Membership from 1 April 2014 = 1/160th of the pay you received in each year, plus a proportion of any transfer rights.
Membership up to 31 March 2014 - 1/160th of your final pay times your membership from 6 April 1988* (or when you joined the LGPS if later) up to 31 March 2014.
*If you paid additional contributions to make membership before 6 April 1988 count towards the calculation of a cohabiting partner's pension, this is included. You must have have made this election made before 1 April 2014.
If you die leaving one or more eligible children, they may get a pension, if they fall within the definition of an 'eligible' child.
If a survivors' pension is being paid to a spouse, civil partner of eligible cohabiting partner:
Where there’s one eligible child:
plus
Where there is more than one eligible child:
plus
If no survivors' pension is being paid to a spouse, civil partner of eligible cohabiting partner:
Where there’s one eligible child:
plus
Where there is more than one eligible child:
plus
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