If you have left employment with deferred benefits and die before receiving them, the survivor benefits payable depend upon whether you left employment with a right to deferred benefits before or after 1 April 2008.
- A Surviving Spouse’s Pension
Regardless of when you left, a pension will be paid to your surviving widow or widower as follows:
- Widow
1/160 x your final pay x the membership the deferred pension is based on.
If you have married after leaving the employment, a surviving widow’s pension is based on membership after 5 April 1978.
- Widower
1/160 x your final pay x the membership the deferred pension is based on.
If you have married after leaving the employment, a surviving widower’s pension is based on membership after 5 April 1988.
- Surviving Registered Civil Partner
If you are survived by a registered Civil Partner, the amount of survivor’s benefit payable depends on when you left the employment.
- If you left on or before 31 March 2008
Your surviving registered civil partner’s pension will be calculated as follows:
1/160 x your final pay x your membership from 6 April 1978 to date of leaving
- If you left on or after 1 April 2008
Your surviving registered partner’s pension will be calculated as follows:
1/160th x your final pay x the membership the deferred pension is based on.
If you have registered after leaving the employment, the surviving registered civil partner’s pension is based on membership after 5 April 1978.
- Surviving Nominated Cohabiting Partner
If you are survived by a nominated cohabiting partner, the amount of survivor’s benefit payable depends on when you left the employment.
- If you left on or before 31 March 2008
You are not eligible to nominate a co-habiting partner to receive a survivor’s pension.
- If you left on or after 1 April 2008
A survivor’s pension will be paid provided you have nominated your partner to receive a pension.
Both you and your partner have to sign a Co-habiting Partner form confirming that certain criteria have been met.
The pension will be calculated as follows:
1/160 x your final pay x membership from 6 April 1988 to date of leaving (plus any membership before 6 April 1988 that you opted to pay additional contributions for)
