Death Benefits
Death Benefits
If you die before you receive your pension, there are a number of benefits that may be paid to your loved ones. The Fund should be notified as soon as possible of a member's death. The sooner we are told, the quicker we can establish what death benefits are due and start paying them.
Notify us of a Bereavement
To notify the Fund of a bereavement, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. Our contact details can be found here.
Please try to provide as much information as possible including the member's name, date of birth, National Insurance number, and next of kin details.
Once notified, we will write out and confirm what benefits are payable and whether certificates may be required. Any certificates provided will be returned promptly and will be treated as confidential while in our custody. Photocopies of certificates will be accepted and only returned if requested.
If you record a death through the Tell Us Once system we will also be notified through this service.
Financial Support for Loved Ones
If you die before you receive your pension, there are a number of benefits that may be paid to your loved ones.
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Death Grant
This a tax-free cash lump sum payable upon your death and is equal to:
- the current value of your deferred lump sum, if you left the LGPS before 1 April 2009, or
- five times the value of your deferred pension, if you left on or after 1 April 2009.
You can tell us who you would like to receive this grant by updating your death grant nominations online via My Pension+ or by completing an Expression of Wish form. The Fund does not have to follow your wishes but we will do so wherever we can. Information on how the death grant is paid out and to whom can be found in the Death Grant Hierarchy.
Be aware if you are also an active member (i.e. paying into the scheme) then you will only receive one death grant. You will either receive the death in service lump sum or the deferred lump sum, whichever is greater.
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Survivor's Pension
A survivor's pension is payable to your:
- Husband/Wife, or
- Civil Partner, or
- *Eligible Cohabiting partner
This is an annual pension paid to them every year, for the rest of their life. How much a survivor's pension is depends on when you were a member of the pension scheme and for how long. You can view the value of your survivor's pension on My Pension+.
*For a cohabiting partner to be eligible for a survivor's pension, you must be free to marry or enter into a civil partnership with your cohabiting partner, and the following conditions must be met for a continuous period of at least 2 years at the date of death:
- You and your cohabiting partner have been living together as if you were husband/wife or civil partners.
- Neither of you have been living with someone else as though you/they were husband/wife or civil partners.
- Either your cohabiting partner is financially dependent on you, or you have been financially interdependent on each other.
- Pensions for cohabiting partners are only available to those who were active members, paying into the Pension Scheme on or after 1 April 2009.
You can tell us of a cohabiting partner by completing the Notification of Cohabiting Partner form.
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Children's Pension
A pension is also payable to eligible children as long as they meet one of the following criteria:
- They are under age 18, or
- They are under 23 and in full-time education or training, or
- They are unable to gain employment because of physical or mental impairment and either under age 23 or permanently dependent on you.
The pension is only payable as long as they meet the above criteria. For example, if they leave full time education at 21, their pension would stop.
Eligible children include:
- natural or adopted children,
- step children, or
- children accepted by the deceased as a member of the family and who were dependent on the member at the date of death.
Want more details?
Login to My Pension+ where you'll be able to see how much your death grant, survivor's pension and children's pension is worth. You can also update your death grant nominations.
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