Death Benefits

Benefits are payable to the surviving partner to whom the member was legally married/in civil partnership with/cohabiting with at the date of death.

No benefits are payable:

• If the marriage/civil partnership had been legally dissolved.

• If the relationship between cohabiting partners does not meet the conditions laid down by the LGPS.

I’m not married, or in a civil partnership, but I live with my partner. Will they get a pension after I die?
“Yes. As long as you were a contributing member of the scheme on or after 1 April 2008 and your relationship meets the conditions below.

For at least 2 years before your death, both you and your co-habiting partner must have:

•   Been free to marry or enter a civil partnership; and

•   Have been living together as if you were married or in a civil partnership; and

•   Not have been living with anybody else as if you were married or in a civil partnership; and

•   Been financially dependent, or interdependent, on one another

If the above applies to you, you should complete the following form. To link to the 'Notification of cohabiting partner' form, use the URL for the forms page.

Your partner is financially dependent on you if you have the higher income, and your partner has relied on you to support your standard of living. Being financially interdependent means you both rely on your joint finances to support your standard of living. You do not have to have contributed equally. For all the conditions above, we will need to get proof from your surviving partner when you die. There is a right to appeal if we decide not to pay a pension to your partner when they believe they should get one.

Will a pension be paid to my children when I die?
Your eligible children will receive part of your pension when you die. The amount paid will depend on how many eligible children you have and whether a pension is also being paid to your partner.

An eligible Child is

• a natural child born before on or within 12 months of a member’s death

• an adopted child born before or on the date of the member’s death

• a stepchild or a child accepted by the deceased member as a member of the family who was dependent on the member at the date of death.

An eligible child must also be:

• under age 18, or

• aged under 23 and in full-time education or vocation training, or

• under age 23 and unable to engage in gainful employment because of physical or mental impairment, or

• over age 23, unable to engage in gainful employment because of permanent physical or mental impairment and the child was dependent on the member at the date of death because of that impairment. An independent registered medical practitioner must give their opinion on whether the impairment is likely to be permanent. Gainful employment means paid employment for at least 30 hours per week that lasts for at least a year.