Survivor and child pensions

A survivor can include:

• Spouses
• Civil partners
• Cohabiting partners 

What is a survivor pension?

• If you die in retirement: Survivor’s pensions are generally 50% of the value of your pension at the date you die
• If you die in service: Survivor’s pensions are generally 50% of the value of your ill health pension at the date you die. This assumes you have two years of qualifying service

Survivor’s pensions are payable for life, even if the survivor has their own pension benefits, remarries or forms a new partnership. 

If your spouse or civil partner is more than 12 years younger than you, their pension will be reduced to reflect the age difference. This reduction will be 2.5% for every year by which your spouse or civil partner is more than 12 years younger than you, up to a maximum reduction of 50%. 

Payment of survivors’ benefits begins as soon as possible after a member’s death. Subsequent payments to survivors are made monthly.

What is a surviving child?

This includes:

• a child who is your natural child, stepchild or adopted child; and
• any other child who was substantially dependent on you (either financially or by reason of disability) at the time of your death. 

Benefits for eligible children are payable to a posthumous child if the child’s mother is pregnant with the child at the time of your death, including the situation where you are the mother and you die in childbirth. 

What is a child’s pension?
Child’s pensions are generally 25% of your pension at the date of your death. If there are three or more eligible children, each receives an amount equivalent to 50% of your pension divided by the number of eligible children.

Child’s pensions are payable until:

• age 19
• age 23, if they are in full-time education on a course of at least one year’s duration
• they are unable to engage in regular employment due to physical or mental impairment which is likely to be permanent at the date of your death, in which case the pension is payable for life.