What if I die as a member?

Depending on your circumstances, Surrey Pension Fund can provide a lump sum death grant payment and survivor's pensions.

Lump sum death grant for members who die in in service (active member)

If you die in service there is usually a one off lump sum death grant payable to your next of kin. This is calculated as 3x your annual salary at your date of death. However, this may not be the case where a member has multiple pensions within the LGPS.

If you die in service as a member of the LGPS a lump sum death grant is paid, no matter how long you have been a member of the LGPS, provided you are under age 75 at the date of death.

If you also have deferred benefits and/or a pension in payment from a previous period of membership of the LGPS, the lump sum death grant that would be payable is the greater of:

• The total of any lump sum death grants payable from the deferred and/or pensions in payment
• 3x your annual salary at your date of death.

Lump sum death grant for members who die who have left service (deferred benefits member)

If you pay Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs), the value of your AVC is also payable, as is any extra life cover.

Who is my death grant paid to?

You can nominate anyone to receive these funds by updating your Nominations on the 'My Pension' Portal or by sending us a filled out Expression of Wish – Nomination Form.

Although we have the final say on who to pay the funds to, we do usually pay the funds to the people that you ask us to.

Survivor's pension

If you were to die as a member of the LGPS an ongoing pension is provided for your spouse, registered civil partner or, subject to certain qualifying conditions, your eligible cohabiting partner (if you were a member of the LGPS on or after 1 April 2008).

This pension is payable immediately after your death for the rest of their life and will increase every year in line with the cost of living.

If you would like benefits to be paid to a cohabiting partner they will need to meet all the criteria below for a continuous period of at least 2 years prior to your death:

• You and your co-habiting partner were free to marry each other or to enter into a civil partnership
• You and your co-habiting partner have been living together as if you were spouses, or civil partners
• Neither yourself nor your co-habiting partner have been living with someone else as if you were spouses or civil partners
• Either your co-habiting partner is financially dependent on you or you are financially interdependent on each other.

Children's pensions are also payable to any eligible dependent children you may have when you die or born up to one year after.

Please contact us if you want to know more.