Death as a deferred member
The LGPS provides you with peace of mind by providing benefits for your family if you die whilst still a deferred member of the Scheme.
Depending on your circumstances the Scheme can provide:
- A lump sum death payment
- Survivor’s pensions
- Children’s pensions
Have you completed a Death Grant Nomination Form?
Lump Sum Death Payment
This benefit is paid if you die and are no longer paying into the Scheme.
If you left the LGPS before 1 April 2008
The lump sum payable on your death is equal to your retirement lump sum payment.
If you left the LGPS after 31 March 2008
The lump sum is 5 times your annual pension.
If you are still paying contributions into the LGPS for another job
The lump sum will be the higher of the death in service grant from your current job, or the death grant from your deferred pension(s).
If you hold more than one deferred benefit in the LGPS
Provided you are not also an active member of the LGPS when you die, a death grant will be payable from each deferred benefit, calculated as above.
Survivor's Pension
When you die, we may be able to pay a pension to your husband/ wife, your civil partner or your cohabiting partner and your dependent children.
For your husband/ wife
| Your membership from 1 April 2014 | 1/160th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account. |
| Your membership up to 31 March 2014 | 1/160th of your final pay X the period of your membership up to 31 March 2014, upon which your deferred benefit is based. |
However, if you marry after leaving the LGPS:
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For your civil partner
| Your membership from 1 April 2014 | 1/160th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account. |
| Your membership up to 31 March 2014 | 1/160th of your final pay X the period of your membership up to 31 March 2014, upon which your deferred benefit is based. |
However, if you enter into a civil partnership after leaving the LGPS:
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For your eligible cohabiting partner
| Your membership from 1 April 2014 | 1/160th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account. |
| Your membership up to 31 March 2014 | 1/160th of your final pay X the period of your membership from 6 April 1988 up to 31 March 2014, plus any membership before 6 April 1988 if you elected to pay additional contributions to make it count*. |
* An election to pay additional contributions to make membership before 6 April 1988 count towards the calculation of cohabiting partner’s pension must have been made before 1 April 2014.
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Nominated Cohabiting Partners- the scheme includes a cohabiting partner’s pension for dependant partners in both opposite and same sex relationships. The definition of a qualifying partner is:
- You must have lived with your partner in a permanent exclusive relationship for a minimum of two years
- You must be legally free to marry or to enter into a civil partnership
- You and your partner are living together as if you were husband and wife or as if you were civil partners
- You and your partner must be financially interdependent
- Any nomination for a partner’s pension will be void if the conditions above have not been continuously met for at least two years on the day the partnership declaration has been signed
Some examples of financial inter-dependency accepted by HMRC (these are not exhaustive and not all need to be met) are:
- You share a household and its related costs
- You have a joint bank account or mortgage
- You have named each other as beneficiaries in your wills
To nominate a cohabiting partner, please complete the following form nominating your cohabiting partner.
Children's Pensions
Children’s pensions are payable for so long as eligible children remain following your death. To be eligible your children must at the date of your death:
- Be under 18 and be wholly or mainly dependant on you, or
- Be aged 18 or over and under 23, be dependent on you, and be in full time education or undertaking vocational training (although a dependant child who commences full-time education or vocational training after the date of your death may be treated as an eligible child up to age 23), or
- Be unable to engage in gainful employment because of physical or mental impairment and either:
- Has not reached the age of 23, or
- The impairment is, in the opinion of an independent registered medical practitioner, likely to be permanent and the child was dependent on you at the date of your death because of that mental or physical impairment. (In this context gainful employment means paid employment for not less than 30 hours in each week for a period of not less than 12 months).
- In all cases, the children must have been born before or within a year of your death.
The amount of pension depends on the number of children you have:
If a partner’s pension is being paid to your spouse,civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner:
| One child | Two or more children | |
| Your membership from 1 April 2014 | 1/320th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account | 1/160th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account |
| Your membership up to 31 March 2014 | 1/320th of your final pay X the period of your membership in the scheme up to 31 March 2014, upon which your deferred benefit is based | 1/160th of your final pay X the period of your membership in the scheme up to 31 March 2014, upon which your deferred benefit is based |
If no partner’s pension is being paid to your spouse,civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner:
| One child | Two or more children | |
| Your membership from 1 April 2014 | 1/240th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account | 1/120th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account |
| Your membership up to 31 March 2014 | 1/240th of your final pay X the period of your membership in the scheme up to 31 March 2014, upon which your deferred benefit is based | 1/120th of your final pay X the period of your membership in the scheme up to 31 March 2014, upon which your deferred benefit is based |
Please note the pension may be reduced if your child is receiving pay while in full-time training for a trade, profession or vocation.