On your death your pension entitlement stops immediately, so it’s important your spouse or someone else in your family informs us immediately.
Your husband, wife or civil partner (or nominated cohabiting partner if you were in service on or after 1 April 2009), and any qualifying children will then receive a pension which increases in line with the cost of living.
To protect your family make sure you have completed a Nomination Form for someone to receive the lump sum death grant your loved ones may be eligible for. If you don’t, it may be subject to inheritance taxes or be delayed.
If you were in service after 31 March 2009 a Nominated Cohabiting Partner Nomination Form must have been completed for such a partner to receive a pension after your death.
Death grant
If you left service before 1 April 2009 and die within five (ten if you were in service on 1 April 2009) years of retiring, the remainder of your first five (ten if you were in service on 1 April 2009) 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 of the same amount as you were receiving from your pension. The situation is slightly different for husbands and civil partners.
Long-term widow’s, widower’s, nominated cohabiting partner's or civil partner’s pension
After the short-term pension ends or if you were in service on or after 1 April 2009, your spouse will receive a pension which increases with the cost of living for the rest of their life, even if they re-marry. This will be 1/160 of your final pay times your service.
The situation is slightly different for husbands, nominated cohabiting / civil partners or if you married after you retired.
Short-term qualifying children’s pension
Children’s pensions are 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, a children’s short-term pension lasts six months.
Children’s pensions are shared among your children.
Long-term qualifying 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 nominated cohabiting / 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
A Guide to the LGPS has full details of what may be payable on th edeath of a pensioner. If you would rather receive a copy by post, contact us.