Death in deferment

Death grant

If you die with a deferred LGPS pension, a death grant lump sum will be paid to your estate or to someone you have nominated, subject to your pension administrator's discretion. The amount of the death grant depends on when you left the LGPS – by leaving your job, opting out or retiring

Left on or before 31 March 2008

The death grant payable would be the same as the lump sum shown on your most recent pension statement.

Left on or after 1 April 2008

The lump sum is five times the yearly pension, shown on your most recent pension statement.

Left on or after 1 April 2014

The lump sum is five times the yearly pension.

Note: if you are actively paying into the LGPS in England or Wales at the date of death, the lump sum will be assessed in line with any other LGPS memberships held, in some cases only the higher of these will be paid. You can nominate someone to receive your death grant or update your existing nomination by completing the Death grant expression of wish form on the Member Portal. If you need the form in an alternative format, please see our resources page on the website.

Partner's and children's pensions

If you die, pensions may be paid to:

  • your husband, wife or civil partner,
  • your cohabiting partner,
  • eligible children.

If you have a partner but you are not married or in a civil partnership, your partner can only receive a pension if your partnership meets certain conditions when you die. The pension would be based on the LGPS membership that you have built up since 6 April 1988 – your partner won't receive a pension if you left the LGPS before that date. Your partner may receive a pension if:

  • you have paid into the LGPS on or after 1 April 2008 and
  • at your death, your partner can demonstrate that your relationship met certain conditions for at least two years – for example that you were committed, exclusive and you were not married or in a civil partnership with anyone else

You can let us know your current circumstances by completing a Nomination of cohabiting partner form. Read the notes that are with the form.

If you are married or have a civil partner you cannot change his or her entitlement to a pension, or choose for it to be paid to someone else. What your spouse or civil partner will receive if you die depends on the rules of the LGPS when you stopped paying into it.