What happens when I die?
nuvos
What happens if I die in service?
We usually will pay a sum of up to two times your pay to the person (or people) you have named. This lump sum will normally be tax-free.
What if I die after I leave the scheme?
If you die within five years of starting to draw your pension, we will usually pay the person (or persons) you have named a lump sum representing the balance of five years’ pension. If you leave the scheme and then die before drawing your pension, we will usually pay the person (or persons) a lump sum of five times your preserved (frozen) pension.
How do I name someone to receive any lump sum when I die?
You can name the person (or persons) on the PensionChoices form you receive when you start work with a Civil Service employer. If you want to change your decision in the future, use the death benefit nomination form[PDF]. If you decide to name more than one person, you can say how much you would like each person to receive. If you don’t say how you want it shared between them we will pay each person you have named an equal share. If you name your husband, wife or civil partner, and your marriage or civil partnership then ends, your husband, wife or civil partner will no longer be entitled to any lump sum unless you have re-nominated them.
Does my husband, wife or civil partner get a pension?
As long as you have been in the scheme for at least one year (for active members) or have rights to a pension (members who have left service), we will give your surviving husband, wife or civil partner a pension. We will work this out as 3/8 of your pension. If you die in service, we will grant some extra pension, up to a maximum of the equivalent of a further 10 years’ service. If you die after you have left the scheme, pensions for your dependants will be based on your pension before any reduction for using part of your pension to buy a lump sum. .
Once your husband, wife or civil partner is receiving a pension, it will continue for the rest of their life, and we will increase it every year in line with the increase in the Retail Prices Index.
Important note. At the time of a divorce, a court may order that when a scheme member, or a previous member, dies, all or part of the death benefit must be paid to the ex-husband or ex-wife or ex-civil partner. If this is the case, we will pay any balance to the person you nominated or to the personal representative of the person who died if there is no valid nomination.
I’m not married or in a civil partnership, but I have a partner
If neither you nor your partner is married to, or in a civil partnership with, anyone else, we may pay your partner a pension. We work this out in the same way as the pension for a husband, wife or civil partner. You must make sure that you and your partner fill in a declaration, as we cannot pay a pension without this. For more details on this see the Partners section.
Will my children get a pension?
We will pay a pension to your children (and to any other children who rely on you financially) when you die. We pay children’s pensions to dependent children up to the age of 23. We work out a child’s pension as 30% of your pension entitlement if we pay a pension to your surviving husband, wife, civil partner or partner, or 50% if you did not leave an adult dependant. If you leave more than two children who qualify for a pension, we will reduce each child’s pension so they each get an equal share.
