Death Benefits

If you die in service as a member of the LGPS a lump sum death grant of three times your final pay is payable no matter how long you have been a member of the LGPS. For part-time employees, the final pay is not increased to its whole-time equivalent rate.

If you would like a form to nominate who you would like the Death Grant paid to, click here.

A long-term pension will be paid to your widow, widower, civil partner or nominated co-habiting partner.

The pension will be 1/160 of the member’s final pay for each year of membership had the member retired on the grounds of permanent ill-health on the day he died.

For civil partners or co-habiting partners, the long-term pension is calculated in the same way. However, only his partner’s total membership from 6th April 1988 is used in the calculation.

Children’s pensions are payable for so long as children remain eligible to receive a pension following your death, no matter how long you have been a member of the LGPS.

Should you die while your benefits are preserved five times the preserved pension will be paid as a death grant. If you are married, have a civil partner or nominated co-habiting partner a long-term pension will also become payable. The widow’s or widower’s pension is 1/160 of the member’s final pay for each year of membership.

For civil partners or co-habiting partners, the long-term pension is calculated in the same way. However, only his partner’s total membership from 6th April 1988 is used in the calculation.

Long-term children’s pensions will be payable for so long as eligible children remain following your death.

If you die after retiring on a pension, your benefits will no longer be payable. Your widow, widower, civil partner, co-habiting partner, next of kin or person dealing with your Estate must immediately inform the Pension Office of your date of death as otherwise an overpayment could occur. (Contact us).

The following benefits may then be payable:

A lump sum death grant will be payable if the death occurs in the first ten years on pension, and you are under the age of 75, and is the amount by which the annual pension multiplied by ten exceeds the pension paid to the date of death.

A widow’s or widower’s pension is payable if you were married to you wife or husband at retirement.

A widow’s long-term pension is payable equal to 1/160 of the member’s final pay for each year of membership, before any reductions applied as a result of early retirement and before any pension was given up to provide a tax-free lump sum.

A widower’s long-term pension is calculated in the same way as a widow, however the pension will be based on his wife’s total membership from 6 April 1988 only, unless she had opted for her membership prior to 6 April 1988 to count for widower’s pension purposes.

A civil partner’s or co-habiting partner’s long-term pension is calculated in the same way as for a widow but only in respect of membership accrued after 5 April 1988.

Your administering authority has the discretion to pay the lump sum death grant to your nominee or any person who appears, at any time, to have been your relative or dependant. If you have not made your wishes known, or wish to change a previous nomination, click here for a nomination form.

If you die in service and are paying additional contributions to increase your membership, these will be deemed to be paid in full.

If you are paying additional regular contributions(Arcs’), which include an additional pension for a dependant, the contract to purchase the additional pension will be deemed to be completed.

Widows’, widowers’, civil partners’, nominated co-habiting partners’ and children’s pensions are increased each year in line with the Retail Prices Index regardless of age.

The above pensions are payable for life even if your widow or widower remarries, or your civil or nominated co-habiting partner enters into another partnership.

If your pension benefits are subject to a Pension Sharing Order issued by the Court following a divorce or annulment, your benefits will be reduced in accordance with the Court Order. If you remarry any spouse’s pension payable following your death will also be reduced. Benefits payable to eligible children will not be reduced because of a pension sharing order.