Knowing what will happen to your pension when you die is important.
Inform the Fund
Your LGPS pension must stop when you die.
It's important that someone informs us of your date of death as soon as possible to avoid an overpayment of your pension. This is usually the person dealing with your estate.
Our helpline is available from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, telephone: 01629 538900
Payments to your beneficiaries after your death
There are 3 possible payments from the Fund after you die:
A lump sum death grant
This is payable to the people or organisations you have nominated on your completed 'Expression of wish' form.
A survivor's pension
This is payable to your:
- spouse
- civil partner
- eligible co-habiting partner (subject to certain conditions and only if you were a contributing member on or after 1 April 2008)
Eligible child's pension
This is payable to your child or children when you die if they:
- are under 18
- are under 23 and they are in full time continuing education
- have a permanent physical or mental impairment and are dependent on you at the time of your death
Lump sum
If you have made an expression of wish nomination, that person or people you nominated may be due a lump sum after your death. This will depend on when you started to receive your pension.
You can make a nomination at any time.
If you die without making a nomination, a lump sum payment may still be payable to your estate, however it may take a little longer to arrange.
If you would like to make a nomination, or wish to change your nomination, please use the form attached to this page.
If you finished work and stopped paying into the pension scheme:
Before 1 April 1998
The calculation of your lump sum death grant depends on whether you have more than, or less than, 10 years' service that counts towards the calculation of your pension benefits.
The calculation is complex and you can contact us for an estimate of the amount that may be payable.
Between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 2008
A lump sum death grant will be paid if less than 5 years pension has been paid.
The amount payable would be:
- 5 times the level of your annual pension in respect of your membership in the scheme (after giving up any pension for a tax free cash lump)
- less any pension already paid to you
On or after 1 April 2008
A lump sum death grant will be paid if less than 10 years' pension has been paid.
The amount payable would be:
- 10 times the level of your annual pension in respect of your membership of the scheme after 31 March 2014 (before giving up any pension for a tax-free cash lump sum)
- less any pension already paid to you in respect of your membership after 31 March 2014
- less the amount of any tax-free cash lump sum you chose to take by giving up some of the pension you built up after 31 March 2014 when you took your pension at retirement
- plus 10 times the level of your annual pension in respect of your membership before 1 April 2014 (after giving up any pension for a tax free cash lump sum)
- less any pension already paid to you in respect of your membership before 1 April 2014
If you are receiving a pension and you are also an active member or a deferred member of the LGPS when you die however, the lump sum death grant payable is the amount as calculated on this page, plus the higher of:
Pension
The amount of pension we can pay to your surviving beneficiary after you die depends on how long you paid into the pension scheme and the pay which you received.
Full details of how your survivor’s pension will be worked out are available on the national LGPS Member’s website.
Links to useful documents