Planned maintenance: Please note EAPF Online will be unavailable between 09:00 on 30 October until 17:00 on 31 October 2019 for essential maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

I'm a Contributing Member header image

Death and dependants

If you die in service whilst you’re a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) the following valuable benefits are payable:

  • a lump sum death grant of three times your assumed pensionable pay
  • pensions for any eligible children you have
  • a pension for your spouse, civil partner, or a cohabiting partner (if they meet qualifying conditions).

If you're in the 50:50 section of the Scheme when you die, this does not impact on the value of any pension for your spouse, civil partner, eligible cohabiting partner or eligible children. For more details about the 50:50 section, see our 'Paying into the Scheme' pages.

If you die after retiring on a pension the following are payable:

  • a lump sum death grant (if when you die less than 10 years' pension has been paid and you're under the age 75)
  • pensions for any eligible children you have
  • a pension for your spouse or civil partner, or a cohabiting partner’s pension (if they meet qualifying conditions)

For more details on the benefits available once you’ve retired please see our pensioner section.

You can also see more about ‘death benefits’ by downloading our 'full Scheme' guide.

If you're dealing with the death of an EAPF member, download our factsheet called 'Bereavement and how we can help you'. This factsheet has some really useful information to help guide you through the steps you need to take following the death of any contributing, pensioner or other member holding benefits in the EAPF.

How do I decide who receives my lump sum death grant?

You can decide who you wish your lump sum death grant to be paid to by sending an 'Expression of wish' nomination form to Capita, our Fund administrators.

The easiest way to make a nomination is by logging into your EAPF Online account. If you’re not already registered, don’t worry it’s simple. All you’ll need is your National Insurance number and a valid email address.

Alternatively, you can download a paper nomination form and return this to Capita.

How much pension would be payable to my partner if I died whilst in service?

An amount equal to:

  • 1/160th of your pensionable pay (or assumed pensionable pay* where applicable) after 31 March 2014, plus
  • 49/160ths of the amount of any pension credited to your pension account following a transfer of pension rights into the Scheme, plus 
  • an amount equal to 1/160th of your assumed pensionable pay* for each year of membership you would've built up from your date of death to your Normal Pension Age (NPA), plus
  • for membership built up before 1 April 2014, the pension payable is equal to 1/160th of your final pay, times the period of your membership in the Scheme up to 31 March 2014

*this is an average of the pensionable pay you received during the 3 months immediately before your death.

However, if you marry or enter a civil partnership after you've stopped contributing to the Scheme, the benefits payable to your spouse or civil partnership could be less.

  • For a civil partner, widower or survivor of a same sex marriage, this is based on the period of membership after 5 April 1988
  • For a widow, this is based on the period of membership after 5 April 1978

In addition, an eligible cohabiting partner's pension is based on the period of membership after 5 April 1988, plus any additional pre 6 April 1988 membership bought to count towards an eligible cohabiting partner's pension.

For more details about death benefits, read our Scheme guide.

How much pension would be payable to my children if I died whilst in service?

The following amounts are available to pay as children’s pensions. These apply if a pension is also paid to a spouse, civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner.

  • For one child the pension would be equal to 1/320th of your pay for each year of membership plus the years you could've worked between your date of death and normal pension age (NPA).
  • For two or more children the pension would be equal to 1/160th of your pay for each year of membership plus the years you could've worked between your date of death and NPA. This pension would be shared equally among the children.

If there's no spouse’s, civil partner’s or eligible cohabiting partner’s pension being paid, then the children’s pensions would be as follows:

  • For one child the pension would be equal to 1/240th of your pay for each year of membership plus the years you could've worked between your date of death and NPA.
  • For two or more children the pension would be equal to 1/120th of your pay for each year of membership plus the years you could've worked between your date of death and NPA. This pension would be shared equally among the children.

If you've transferred pension from another scheme in to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), then a proportion of the value of that transfer will be added to any children’s pensions.

To find out which children are eligible for the children’s pensions, please see section 'E' of our glossary.

If you're in the 50:50 Section of the Scheme when you die this does not reduce the value of any pension for your spouse, civil partner, eligible cohabiting partner or children.

What are the qualifying conditions for a cohabiting partner?

For an eligible cohabiting partner’s survivor’s pension to be payable, all of the following conditions must have applied for a continuous period of at least 2 years on the date of your death:

  • you and your cohabiting partner are, and have been, free to marry each other or enter into a civil partnership with each other, and
  • you and your cohabiting partner have been living together as if you were husband and wife, or civil partners, and
  • neither you or your cohabiting partner have been living with someone else as if you/they were husband and wife or civil partners, and
  • either your cohabiting partner is, and has been, financially dependent on you or you are, and have been, financially interdependent on each other.

On your death, a survivor’s pension would be paid to your cohabiting partner if:

  • all of the above criteria apply at the date of your death, and
  • your cohabiting partner satisfies the pension fund that the above conditions had been met for a continuous period of at least 2 years immediately.

You'll find more information on death benefits in our 'full Scheme' guide.

Send message
Close