On your death your pension entitlement immediately stops, so it’s important your spouse or someone else in your family informs us immediately.
Your husband, wife or civil partner, and any children will then receive a pension which increases in line with the cost of living.
To protect your family make sure you have nominated someone to receive the death grant you may be eligible for. If you don’t, it may be subject to inheritance taxes or be delayed. You can download a Nomination Form.
Death grant
If you left service before 1 April 2009 and die within five years of retiring, the remainder of your first five years’ pension is paid in one lump sum to your widow, widower, civil partner, or someone you’ve nominated.
Short-term widow’s, widower’s, or civil partner’s pension
If you left service before 1 April 2009, for three months after your death (six if there are any eligible children in the care of your husband, wife or civil partner) your spouse will receive a pension.
While your wife will receive the same amount as you were receiving from your pension, the situation is slightly different for husbands and civil partners. Download the death benefits information sheet for more details.
Long-term widow’s, widower’s, or civil partner’s pension
After the short-term pension ends your spouse will receive a pension which increases with the cost of living for the rest of their life, even if they re-marry. Your wife will usually receive half your pension.
The situation is slightly different for husbands and civil partners or if you married after you retired. Download the death benefits information sheet for more details.
Short-term children’s pension
Your children’s pension is usually payable after your widow’s, widower’s or civil partner’s short-term pension has finished. If your children are not in the care of your partner, your children also get a short-term pension equal to your pension for three months after you die.
If there is no widow’s, widower’s or civil partner’s pension to be paid, your children’s short-term pension lasts six months.
Children’s pensions are shared among your children.
Long-term children’s pension
Your children will receive a long-term pension for as long as they are eligible (under 17, or up to 23 and in full-time education which started before they were 17, or incapacitated since before they were 17). The amount depends on a number of factors, including how many children you have, whether they are in the care of your husband, wife, or civil partner, and if your child is receiving any pay while in full-time training.
Pension increases
Long-term children’s or widow’s, widower’s, or civil partner’s pensions increase every year in line with the cost of living. To find out how this is calculated and when the increase takes effect, see the calculating your pension increase page.
More information
You can download A Guide to the Local Government Pension Scheme, with full details of all the features and how to take advantage of them, to print out and read when you want. If you would rather receive a copy by post, contact us.
If you’ve got further questions, visit the pensioner member frequently asked questions page of this site.