What protection does the LGPS offer for my family if I die?
When you die, your surviving dependants may be entitled to receive LGPS benefits.
The benefits may vary depending on the date you left the scheme, but could include:
A death grant of up to 10 times your pension.
A pension for your spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner.
A pension for your eligible children.
The benefits are explained in more detail below.
Death grants are only payable if you die within the Scheme’s ‘guarantee period’, which is:
If you left the Scheme before 1 April 2008 – 5 years
If you left the Scheme after 31 March 2008 – 10 years
If you’ve completed a nomination form (also known as an ‘Expression of wish’), the EAPF will usually pay any death grant due to your nominated person or persons (please see our ‘Death grant nomination’ section).
The amount of the death grant payable will depend on the date you left the Scheme. If you left the Scheme with deferred benefits, the amount will depend on the date your benefits were deferred and not the date the benefits came into payment.
If you left:
After 31 March 2014 - the death grant is 10 times your pension (before any commutation for lump sum made at retirement), less any pension you’ve been paid and any additional lump sum acquired through commutation of pension.
Between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2014 (inclusive) - the death grant is 10 times your pension, less any pension you’ve been paid.
Between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 2008 (inclusive) - the death grant is 5 times your pension, less any pension you’ve been paid.
Before 1 April 1998 - please contact Capita for details of the death grant that may become payable to your survivor.
If your pension relates to periods before and after 1 April 2014 then the death grant will be calculated using methods 1 and 2 above for the respective periods.
We encourage you to complete a nomination form to tell us who you wish to receive any death grant that may be payable in the event of your death. You can nominate any person, persons or organisation, including your favourite charities, and you can split the total amount into whatever percentages you wish for each recipient.
If you haven’t completed a nomination form, any death grant due may result in it being paid to your estate and may be assessed for inheritance tax.
Although not binding on the EAPF, a nomination will make your wishes clear and help decide who should receive the death grant.
The easiest way to do this is via EAPF Online, your personal pension portal by selecting ‘My Nomination’ once logged in at portal.eapf.org.uk
To register for your EAPF Online account, you need your National Insurance number and personal details.
Once you’ve registered online and made a nomination, you can see who is currently nominated, and update or delete your nominations when it suits you!
If you can’t do this online, you can also download a paper ‘Expression of wish’ form at www.eapf.org.uk/resources/forms
You can also contact Capita to request a form using the details at the end of this guide.
The EAPF also provides a potential survivor’s pension for your spouse, civil partner, or eligible cohabiting partner; however, their entitlement may vary depending on the date you left the EAPF.
For more details, see our ‘Guide to the Local Government Pension Scheme’ at www.eapf.org.uk/resources/publications
An eligible child (or eligible children) may be entitled to a pension subject to meeting qualifying criteria.
Children are eligible if, at the date of your death, they are:
Your natural or legally adopted children, or
A dependent step-child, or a dependent child accepted by you as a member of the family.
Children’s pensions are payable up to age 18, or up to age 23 if the child continues in full time education or training. A child who is physically or mentally impaired, where the impairment is also permanent, may be entitled to a pension for the rest of their life.
Eligible children don’t include children born 12 months or more after your death. The child’s pension payable will be a proportion of your pension, though the ‘proportion’ and amount payable is dependent on:
The date you left the Scheme,
The number of eligible children, and
Whether a survivor’s pension is also payable
For more information on survivors’ or children’s pensions, please see our ‘Guide to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)’ at www.eapf.org.uk/resources/publications
