Death benefits

A lump sum equal to four times your Final Pensionable Earnings (ignoring any agreed contractual cap on your Final Pensionable Earnings) at the date of your death, together with a refund of the value of any AVCs you may have paid.

A lump sum equal to five times your deferred pension had it come into payment on the date of your death (reduced for early payment) together with a refund of the value of any AVCs you may have paid.

Active members

If you are an Active member a pension, payable for life, equal to 54% of the pension you would have received at your Normal Retirement Date, but based on your Final Pensionable Earnings at the date of your death.

Deferred members

If you are a Deferred member following your death your Spouse or Civil Partner will generally receive a pension, payable for life, equal to 50% of your deferred pension, including any increases (known as revaluation) granted from your date of leaving up to the date of your death.

In the event of the death of your Spouse or Civil Partner, the pension that was payable to your Spouse or Civil Partner will be paid to any Eligible Child(ren), up to a maximum of three.

If you have Pensionable Service between 6 April 1978 and 5 April 1997 your Spouse’s or Civil Partner’s pension may include a Spouse GMP.

Who can receive a Spouse’s pension?

Under our Scheme Rules to qualify to receive a Spouse’s pension a person must, at the date the member dies, be either:

• Legally married to the member (this includes opposite sex spouses and same sex spouses); or
• Be in a registered Civil Partnership with the member under the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

If you were an Active member on or after 1 July 2005 and you die without leaving a Spouse or Civil Partner, a pension may be payable to one or more of your Dependant(s), in such proportions as the Trustee decides. The total amount of the pension will be equal to that which would have been paid to a Spouse or Civil Partner.

If the Dependant’s pension is paid to an Eligible Child who subsequently dies, the Dependant’s pension will continue to be paid to other Eligible Children, if any. However, if the Dependant’s pension is paid to a person who is not an Eligible Child who subsequently dies, the Dependant’s pension will stop.

As an Active member if you die leaving an Eligible Child(ren), up to a maximum of three, they will generally receive a pension equal to 1/6th of the pension you would have received at your Normal Retirement Date. This will be based on your Final Pensionable Earnings at the date of your death.

As a Deferred member if you die leaving Eligible Child(ren), up to a maximum of three, they will generally receive a pension equal to 1/6th of the deferred pension you were entitled to at the date of your death.

Note: The pension will be payable in respect of your Eligible Child(ren) while they are under age 18. If they remain in full-time education or vocational training, the pension may continue at the Trustee’s discretion but not normally beyond the age of 23.

For more information on benefits on death, please refer to the Bereavement Guide.

For more information on Death benefits, please refer to the Death benefits How to Guides which can be found in the How to Guides section of this website