Life Cover
If you die whilst an active member paying into the Scheme, the Scheme makes sure that your survivors are supported.
Depending on your circumstances the Scheme can provide:
- A lump sum death payment
- Survivor's pensions
- Children's pensions
The benefits are a lump sum death grant of 3 x assumed pensionable pay and, where appropriate, the membership and pension you would have built up to your Normal Pension Age.
If you have deferred benefits and are paying into LGPS Scotland as an active member, in the event that you die, only one death grant will be payable. This will be the higher of the death in service lump sum or the aggregate lump sum death grants due from your deferred benefits.
You can tell us who you would like the lump sum death payment paid to by using the Expression of Wish form linked at the bottom of the page or by updating your nominated beneficiary through the My Pension Online service. Before we make any decision, we will consider any wishes you have expressed, but are not bound by this.
If you get married, form a registered civil partnership or your marriage or partnership ceases after making a nomination, you must confirm or change the nomination. If Lothian Pension Fund has been unable to pay the death grant to the nominees within two years of your death, it will be paid to your executors.
If you make a nomination of a child under the age of 16 and a death grant is to be paid whilst the child is under 16, in these circumstances if the grant is over £5,000 it will be paid via the Accountant of Court and not direct to the child or relative. The Accountant of Court ensures that all funds and property managed or supervised is invested prudently and administered properly until the child reaches age 16.
Lump sum death payment
A lump sum death payment of 3 x your assumed pensionable pay may be payable.
You can tell us who you would like the lump sum death payment paid to by using the Expression of Wish form in the publication section below or by updating your nominated beneficiary through the My Pension Online service. Before we make any decision, we will consider any wishes you have expressed, but are not bound by this.
Survivor's pension
When you die, we may be able to pay a pension to your husband/wife or your civil partner or your cohabiting partner and your dependent children.
If you would like benefits to be paid to a cohabiting partner they will need to meet certain criteria. See the section below for more information.
Calculating the amount of survivor's pension
For your husband or wife, civil partner or cohabiting partner
1/160th of your pensionable pay multiplied by the total membership you would have built up to your Normal Pension Age.
Note: Only your membership from 6 April 1988 is used for cohabiting partners, plus any of your membership before 6 April 1988 that you have opted to pay additional contributions for, so that it counts towards a cohabiting partner's pension.
For your dependent children
Pension for one child, where a pension is also being paid to your husband, wife, civil partner or cohabiting partner
1/320 of your pensionable pay multiplied by the total membership you would have built up to your Normal Pension Age
Pension for one child, where no pension is being paid to your husband, wife, civil partner or cohabiting partner
1/240 of your pensionable pay multiplied by the total membership you would have built up to your Normal Pension Age
Pension for 2 or more children, where a pension is also being paid to your husband, wife, civil partner or cohabiting partner
1/160 of your pensionable pay multiplied by the total membership you would have built up to your Normal Pension Age. This amount is then shared equally between all eligible children.
Pension for 2 or more children, where no pension is being paid to your husband, wife, civil partner or nominated cohabiting partner
1/120 of your pensionable pay multiplied by the total membership you would have built up to your Normal Pension Age. This amount is then shared equally among all eligible children.
Important:
Your membership is based on your membership at the date of your death plus what you would have built up to Normal Pension Age, if you had survived and stayed in the scheme until then.
Who will get my benefits?
Lump sum death payment
We make the final decision on whom to pay the lump sum to. Before we decide, we will consider any wishes you have expressed, but are not bound by this.
You can let us know your wishes by filling in a nomination form found at the bottom of the page or by updating your nominated beneficiary through the My Pension Online service.
Survivor's pensions
Survivor's pensions are payable to your husband/wife or your civil partner or cohabiting partner.
If you would like benefits to be paid to a cohabiting partner they will need to meet certain criteria, as follows:
(a) the person (P) has fulfilled the condition in paragraph (i), and the conditions in (ii) to (iv) for a continuous period of at least 2 years on the date the member (M) died:
- (i) Member is able to marry or form a civil partnership with Person;
- (ii) Member and Person are living together as if they were a married couple or as if they were civil partners;
- (iii) neither Member nor Person is living with a third person as if they were a married couple or as if they were civil partners; and
- (iv) either Person is financially dependent on Member, or Member and Person are financially interdependent;
Children's pensions are payable to any eligible dependent children you may have when you die or born up to one year after.