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Civil partner’s pension

Civil partners' pensions were introduced to the Scheme in February 2006.

If you die after retiring on pension, your surviving civil partner may be entitled to a pension. However, the calculation will depend on the date you left the Scheme and whether the civil partnership took place before or after you stopped paying into the Scheme. 

Death of a pensioner (stopped paying into the Scheme after 31 March 2015)

A long-term pension is payable of:

  • Your accrued pension (including any pension given up for a tax-free cash lump sum) for membership in the Scheme after 31 March 2015 recalculated as if it had built up at a rate of 1/160th, (including any enhancement given if the retirement was on ill-health grounds), plus
  • 49/160th of the amount of any pension credited to your pension account following a transfer in, plus
  • 1/160th of your final pay times the period of membership in the Scheme up to 31 March 2015 upon which your pension is based.

If the civil partnership occurred after leaving the Scheme, the long-term survivor’s pension is calculated on your membership after 5 April 1978 only (plus any relevant additional membership).

Death of a pensioner (stopped paying into the Scheme between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2015)

A long-term pension is payable of:

  • 1/160 x deceased’s final pay x deceased’s total membership (plus any relevant additional membership)

If the civil partnership occurred after leaving the Scheme, the long-term survivor’s pension is calculated on the deceased’s membership after 5 April 1978 only (plus any relevant additional membership).

Death of a pensioner (stopped paying into the Scheme before 1 April 2009)

A short-term pension is payable at the deceased member’s pension rate for three months from the date of death or for six months if eligible children are in the civil partner’s care.

A long-term pension is payable, after the short-term pension ends, at:

  • ½ x deceased’s pension

EXCEPT please note: 

If the civil partnership was entered into after the deceased left the Scheme, the calculation of the survivor’s pension is based on the deceased’s membership after 5 April 1978 only (plus any relevant additional membership).