Survivor’s pensions
Your workplace pension may include a regular monthly income, which can be transferred to your spouse, partner or child in the event of your death. We've put together this page to explain how it works for your scheme.
Click on your scheme using the tabs below
If you have a surviving spouse, civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner, at the time of your death, they would usually be entitled to receive a percentage of your regular pension income. This percentage varies depending on when the benefits were accrued:
- Benefits built up before 1 April 2008: surviving partner receives 50% of your pension payments.
- Benefits built up between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2014: surviving partner receives 37.5% of your pension payments.
- Benefits built up on or after 1 April 2014: surviving partner receives 30.625% of your pension payments.
The pension is inflation-proofed, which means that it increases each year in line with the cost of living, based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).
- If you die while still contributing to the LGPS, the survivor’s pension will include part of the increase you would have received if you had retired on ill-health grounds.
- If you leave the scheme before you retire and die before taking your deferred benefits, the survivor’s pension is worked out based on the pension you had already built up.
- If you die after receiving your pension, the survivor’s pension is worked out based on your original pension, before any reductions or increases for early or late payments, and before you made any tax-free lump sum adjustments.
- If you paid additional pension contributions, these do not count towards the survivor’s pension when you die.
- There is no reduction in survivor benefits if you were in the 50/50 section of the scheme.
Eligible cohabiting partner
If you were contributing to the scheme on or after 1 April 2008, your cohabiting partner may be eligible to receive a survivor’s pension. An eligible cohabiting partner is someone you have lived with for at least two years and meets the following conditions:
Eligible child pension
Children who are financially dependent on you at the time of death may be eligible for a child pension – including children, stepchildren, adopted children, or any other child.
The pension will continue up to the age of 18 (or under 23 if the child is in full-time education). It may continue for life if the child is permanently disabled and was dependent on the member at the date of death.
The amount a child receives depends on the number of eligible children and whether a surviving partner’s pension is also being paid
If you have a surviving spouse, civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner at the time of your death, they would be entitled to receive up to half of your firefighter’s pension.
This pension continues for life, even if your partner remarries or forms a new civil partnership. Plus, it’s inflation-proofed, which means that it increases each year in line with the cost of living based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).
Age Difference Adjustment
If your surviving partner is more than 12 years younger than you, the survivor’s pension is reduced by 2.5% for each year over the 12 years, up to a maximum of 50%.
Bereavement Pension
If you die while you are actively contributing to the scheme, a bereavement pension may be paid to your partner for the first 13 weeks following your death. This is to top up their survivor’s pension to the level of your salary (pensionable pay) or full pension (if retired). If you do not have an eligible partner, this could be paid to an eligible child or children.
Bereavement pensions are not payable if you are no longer paying into the scheme and have not started taking your pension (a deferred member).
Special Cases
If you have a deferred pension that is not in payment at the time of your death, your partner would receive half of your deferred pension payments.
If you have children who are eligible for a pension, the bereavement pension may also be divided among them.
Eligible child pension
Children who are financially dependent on you at the time of death may be eligible for a child pension – including children, stepchildren, adopted children, or any other child.
The pension will continue up to the age of 18 (or under 23 if the child is in full-time education). It may continue for life if the child is permanently disabled and was dependent on the member at the date of death.
The amount a child receives depends on the number of eligible children and whether a surviving partner’s pension is also being paid
If you have a surviving spouse, civil partner or eligible declared partner (2015 scheme only), at the time of your death, they would be entitled to receive up to half of your pension benefits. Although, if your spouse or civil partner is more than 12 years younger than you, their survivor’s pension is reduced by 2.5% for every year over the age difference, up to a maximum reduction of 50%
This ‘survivor’s pension’ is inflation-proofed, which means it increases each year in line with the cost of living, based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).
Please be aware
that on the 1987 and 2006 schemes, the pension may be stopped if the surviving spouse or civil partner remarries, forms a new civil partnership or cohabits in the future.
Eligible declared partner
An eligible cohabiting partner is typically someone you have lived with for at least two years, although your police authority may exercise some discretion. The pension may be paid to a nominated partner in a cohabiting relationship that had lasted for less than two years if they are satisfied that the relationship would have continued for the foreseeable future.
Eligible child pension
Children who are financially dependent on you at the time of death may also be eligible for a child pension – including children, stepchildren, adopted children, or any other child.
The pension will continue up to the age of 19 (or under 23 if the child is in full-time education). It may continue for life if the child is permanently disabled and was dependent on the member at the date of death.
The amount a child receives depends on the number of eligible children and whether a surviving partner’s pension is also being paid.
