BENEFITS FOR DEPENDANTS
The death of a spouse or partner can dramatically affect the financial security of surviving family members for the rest of their life. The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) ensures that the surviving family of scheme members are protected against the immediate loss of income.
This section deals with the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) benefits payable to dependants on the death of a Scheme member. It explains who is eligible, how to make a claim, the necessary documents you need to produce and the procedures to follow. It also explains about payments and methods of payments and gives examples of some of the forms that you may need to complete.
In order to register a death and claim the various benefits that are available, there is a lot to be done by way of visiting different offices and government departments. You can find important information regarding this, at the Government's public services website - Directgov.
In addition, you can contact the Fund’s Welfare Officer at any time.
What benefits are payable
If an active member, deferred member or pensioner of the LGPS dies, subject to the qualifying conditions detailed, the following benefits may be payable:
- a lump sum death grant
- an ongoing survivor's pension for the surviving wife, husband, registered civil partner or nominated cohabiting partner
- children's pensions for eligible children
Pensions are payable monthly to eligible dependants, whereas the Death Grant is a one-off payment made to the beneficiaries nominated by the Scheme member.
Survivors’ pensions become effective the day after the Scheme member dies. If the Scheme member was single and had been retired for 10 years or more, no further benefits would be payable.
Who is eligible to receive benefits
On the death of a Scheme member, those eligible for survivor’s and children’s pensions are:
- legally married spouses
- registered civil partners
- nominated cohabiting partners
- legally separated spouses
- judicially separated spouses
- dependent children
- dependants for whom special financial provision has already been made by the Scheme member
On the death of a Scheme member, those not eligible for a pension are:
- cohabiting partners who have not been nominated divorced spouses
On the death of a Scheme member, those eligible to receive any Death Grant which may be payable are:
- beneficiaries nominated by the Scheme member
- legal beneficiaries of the Estate of a Scheme member if the scheme member has not nominated a beneficiary
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Death Grants are paid entirely at the discretion of the Fund and therefore do not form part of the member’s Estate.
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