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Widower’s pension

If a married pensioner dies and is survived by her or his widower, the widower is entitled to a survivor's pension.

The calculation will depend on the date you left the Scheme and whether the marriage took place before or after you stopped paying into the Scheme. 

Death of a pensioner (stopped paying into the Scheme after 31 March 2015)

A long-term widower’s pension is payable of:

  • Your accrued pension (including any pension given up for a tax-free cash lump sum) for membership in the Scheme after 31 March 2015 recalculated as if it had built up at a rate of 1/160th, (including any enhancement given if the retirement was on ill-health grounds), plus
  • 49/160th of the amount of any pension credited to your pension account following a transfer in, plus
  • 1/160th of your final pay times the period of membership in the Scheme up to 31 March 2015 upon which your pension is based.

If the marriage took place after leaving the Scheme, the membership taken into account in the calculation of the long-term widower’s pension is limited to membership after 5 April 1978 only (plus any relevant additional membership).

Death of a pensioner (stopped paying into the Scheme between 1 August 2000 and 31 March 2015)

A long-term pension is payable of:

  • 1/160 x deceased’s final pay x deceased’s total membership  (including any enhancement given if the retirement was on ill-health grounds)

If the marriage occurred after leaving, the membership taken into account in the calculation is limited a to membership after 5 April 1978 only (plus any relevant additional membership).

Death of a pensioner (stopped paying into the Scheme between 6 April 1988 and 31 July 2000)

A short-term pension is payable at:

  • the deceased member’s pension rate for three months from the date of death or for six months if eligible children are in the widower’s care (plus any relevant additional membership).

A long-term pension is payable, after the short-term pension ends, at:

  • ½ x deceased’s pension (plus any relevant additional membership)

EXCEPT please note:

  • Where the marriage took place before the member left the Scheme, the membership taken into account is limited to membership after 5 April 1988.
  • Where the marriage took place after leaving the Scheme, the membership taken into account is limited to membership after 5 April 1978, except where regulation F11 of the 2000 regulations applies.

Death of a pensioner (stopped paying into the Scheme before 6 April 1988)

No widower’s pension is payable.