Deferred members

In this section:

• Deferred Annual Benefit Statements 2023
• Pensions Increase
• Transferring your pension
• Pension scams
• Claiming your deferred pension
• Death benefits for deferred members
• Member Self Service

See also:

• Divorce proceedings

Death benefits for deferred members

This section looks at the benefits that would be payable if you were to die after leaving LGPS but before you draw your pension benefits, i.e. you hold a deferred benefit in the LGPS.

The benefits that may be payable depend on when you left the LGPS.

Lump sum death grant

The amount payable depends on your LGPS leaving date:

If you left the LGPS on or after 1 April 2008

A lump sum of 5 times your deferred annual pension will be payable.

If you left the LGPS before 1 April 2008

A lump sum of 3 times your deferred annual pension will be payable.

However, if you left with deferred benefits and die before receiving them and you are also an active member of the LGPS when you die, the death grant payable is the higher of:

• A lump sum death grant of 5 times (or, if you left before 1 April 2008, 3 times) your deferred annual pension, or
• three times your assumed pensionable pay in your active employment

If you hold more than one deferred benefit in the LGPS (provided you are not also an active member of the LGPS when you die) a death grant will be payable from each deferred benefit, calculated as above.

If you paid Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) arranged through the LGPS (in-house AVCs), the value of your AVC fund is also payable.

Survivor benefits

A pension is provided for your spouse, registered civil partner or, subject to certain qualifying conditions, your eligible cohabiting partner (if you were a member of the LGPS on or after 1 April 2008) and to your eligible children. More information about the benefits payable is available on the national LGPS members’ website.

As the administering authority for the pension fund, the Council has absolute discretion over who receives any death grant lump sum but it is important that you let us know your wishes by completing a Death Grant - Expression of wish form.

 If any part of the death grant has not been paid within 2 years, it must be paid to your personal representatives, i.e. to your Estate, and in accordance with HMRC rules a special lump sum death benefits charge will be applied. Please remember to complete a new form if your wishes change.