BENEFITS AVAILABLE FOR PENSIONERS AND DEPENDENTS

 

Benefits Available For Pensioners

Pension Increases

 

Each year, NILGOSC pensions are increased by means of the “Pensions Increase (Review) Order (Northern Ireland)”. The 2007 increase was 3.6%. The increase was paid in full if you had been on the pension for at least a year, but only a proportion was paid if you retired during the course of the year.

 

If you have retired on redundancy or efficiency grounds and have not yet reached the age of 55, your pension will be increased when you attain the age of 55 by the cumulative total of all increases granted between the date of your retirement and your 55th birthday.

 

However, government has indicated that, in the future, employees may not be permitted to retire before their 55th birthday. We shall update this information in the light of developments.

 

You will receive a payslip in April and May of each year and these documents will give you details of your pension increase. Please make these details available to officials of the Pensions Service, Social Security Agency or the Northern Ireland Housing Executive if you are in receipt of any means-tested benefits.

 

 

 

Benefits Available For Dependents

Death Grant

 

As from 1 December 2000, in the case of the death of a person who was in receipt of a NILGOSC retirement pension, the calculation of the death grant is as follows:

 

Annual rate of pension x 5

 

LESS

 

Any payments of pension already paid.

 

If your pension has already been in payment for more than 5 years after the date of your retirement, there will be no entitlement to a death grant. The grant will normally be paid to the next of kin or personal representatives of the deceased.

 

However, a pensioner may nominate in writing, any person(s) or body(ies) s/he wishes to be the beneficiary(ies) of his/her death grant.

 

Form LGS20 should be used for this purpose. Please contact the Pension Payroll Team if you need to make a nomination.

 

The Committee will normally have regard for such a nomination when it comes to pay a death grant, but it is not bound to do so. The Committee has absolute discretion with regard to whom and in what shares it makes the payment of the death grant.

 

It is essential that pensioners who make a nomination update it regularly if their personal circumstances should change.

 

Death - Widow’s / Widower’s Pension

 

Death Of A Pensioner

 

When a pensioner dies, his/her spouse will receive:

 

a). a short-term pension, equal to the rate of the deceased’s pension at the date of death, payable for

 

i).  six months, if the spouse has one or more eligible children in his/her care; or

 

ii). otherwise for three months

 

and

 

b). a long-term pension, payable for life, which is normally one-half of the annual pension which was being paid to the deceased at the date of his/her death, unless their marriage took place after his/her leaving the scheme or retirement.

 

 

Death Of Male Pensioners Who Retired Before 1 April 1972.

 

The widow of a male pensioner who retired before 1 April 1972 is entitled to a long-term pension equivalent to one-third of her husband’s pension.

 

 

Death Of Female Pensioners Who Retired Or Left Before 6 April 1988.

 

The husband of a female pensioner who retired or left the scheme before 6 April 1988 has no entitlement to a widower’s pension.

 

There is no entitlement to any pension if you are co-habiting or living with a partner.

 

 

Death – Dependant Children’s Pensions

 

When a pensioner dies, any eligible children are entitled to:

 

a). a short-term pension equal to the pension in payment to the deceased at the date of death, payable for six months, provided that:

 

i).  where a surviving spouse’s pension is payable and the child(ren) is/are in the care of the surviving spouse, the child(ren)’s short-term pension(s) are reduced by the amount of the spouse’s short-term pension.

 

ii). where a surviving spouse’s short-term pension is payable but the child(ren) is/are not in the care of the surviving spouse, the child(ren)’s short-term pension(s) is/are payable for three months.

 

Followed by

 

a long-term pension, calculated as a fraction of the deceased’s retirement pension.

 

If the eligible children are in the care of the surviving parent, if there is one child, s/he will receive ¼ of your pension. If there are two or more children, they will be entitled to ½ of your pension, split into equal shares.

 

If the eligible children are not in the care of the surviving spouse, if there is one child, s/he will receive 1/3 of your pension. If there are two or more children, they will receive 2/3 of your pension, divided equally among them.

 

To be eligible for a pension, a child must fulfill one of the following criteria:

 

i).  s/he must be aged under 17.

 

ii). s/he may be over the age of 17, but is remaining in full-time education or training.  Children’s pension which begin on or after 6th April 2006 will cease on the child’s 23rd birthday, even if full time education is not complete.

 

iii). s/he may be over the age of 17, but is permanently incapacitated, provided the incapacity arose before the age of 17 or while undergoing full-time education or training after that age.