The LGPS provides valuable life cover and financial protection for your family.
These can include:
- A death grant lump sum
- Survivors’ pension
- Children’s pension
Death grant lump sum
If you die in service as an “active” member of the LGPS a lump sum death grant of three times your assumed pensionable pay at your date of death 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 left the pension scheme and are no longer paying in (known as a “deferred” member) a lump sum death grant of five times your deferred annual pension will be payable.
If you have active service and deferred service, then all active death in service grants are compared against all deferred death grants plus any pensioner death grants. The greater the total will be paid as the death grant.
The Avon Pension Fund has absolute discretion when deciding who to pay any death grant to. However you can complete an Expression of Wish form to nominate who the death grant should be paid to.
Survivors' pensions
For your spouse (from an opposite sex or same sex marriage) or civil partner:
The pension payable calculated at 1/160th of your pensionable pay (or assumed pensionable pay where applicable) to which is added 49/160ths of the amount of any pension credited to your pension account following a transfer of pension rights into the scheme from another pension scheme or arrangement, plus an amount equal to 1/160th of your assumed pensionable pay for each year of membership you would have built up from your date of death to your Normal Pension Age.
For final salary membership built up before 1 April 2014 the pension payable is equal to 1/160th of your final pay times the period of your membership in the scheme up to 31 March 2014.
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.
For your eligible cohabiting partner:
The pension payable is calculated on 1/160th of your pensionable pay (or assumed pensionable pay where applicable) to which is added 49/160ths of the amount of any pension credited to your pension account following a transfer of pension rights into the scheme from another pension scheme or arrangement, plus an amount equal to 1/160th of your assumed pensionable pay each year of membership you would have built up from your date of death to your Normal Pension Age.
For final salary membership built up before 1 April 2014 the pension payable is equal to 1/160th of your final pay times the period of your membership in the scheme after 5 April 1988 up to 31 March 2014, plus any of your membership before 6 April 1988 for which, under an election made prior to 1 April 2014, you have paid additional contributions so that it counts towards an eligible cohabiting partner's pension.
From April 2014, a survivor’s pension will automatically be payable to an eligible cohabiting partner without the need for the scheme member to have completed a form nominating them to receive a survivor’s pension.
Children's pensions:
These are payable to eligible children and increase every year in line with the cost of living. The amount of pension depends on the number of eligible children you have.