Police Pension Scheme

If you die whilst a serving Officer, provided you were a member of the 1987 Scheme at the time of death (and had not opted out), a lump sum death grant of twice your annual pensionable pay will be paid to your surviving spouse or civil partner. If there is no surviving spouse or civil partner, it will be paid to your personal representative; usually the Executor of your will and will therefore form part of your Estate.

If you work part-time, the lump sum will be twice your annual pensionable pay as a part-timer.

Example

Tony's full time equivalent pay is £30,000 per year, but he works 32 hours a week, so his annual pensionable pay is £24,000 per year (32/40 x £30,000).

If he were to die in service whilst he is a member of the 1987 Scheme, the lump sum death grant payable in respect of his death would be £48,000 (2 x £24,000).

A lump sum death grant becomes payable irrespective of your length of service.

• Survivor Benefits

  When you die, your Survivors (which can include your widow, widower or civil partner and children) may be eligible to receive benefits from the 1987 Scheme. The benefits which may be payable will depend on whether you die in service or after you retire, and the length of your pensionable service at the date of your death.

  Adult survivors under the 1987 Scheme include widows, widowers and civil partners, but NOT cohabitees who were not married or in a civil partnership. Since 5 December 2005, a couple in a civil partnership are treated in much the same way as a married couple.

  There are differences in the way in which service is counted for the purposes of awards to widows, widowers and civil partners. A widow is entitled to a pension based on all the deceased Officer’s pensionable service, if she was married to the Officer before he ceased to be a regular Police Officer and was married to him when he died. If the marriage took place after the Officer’s retirement, the widow will be entitled to a pension based on the officer’s service after 5 April 1978 only.

  Widowers' ordinary, special, augmented and accrued pensions are payable in the same way as for widows except that the award is a standard entitlement in respect of a woman Officer's service only after 16 May 1990. Service before that, from 6 April 1988, provides only a guaranteed minimum pension (GMP) for a widower.

  The benefits available to widows and widowers including rights to ordinary, special, augmented and accrued pensions and the 13 week increase, are paid in the same way to civil partners, except that the entitlement only applies to service completed after 5 April 1988.

• Children's Pensions

  If you die in service or when you are receiving a pension under the 1987 Scheme, or after you have left the Scheme with an entitlement to receive a deferred pension, a child pension will be payable to your legitimate or adopted child, but not to the child (including step-children) of a marriage which took place in retirement, nor to a child adopted in retirement. The same awards is payable to your child regardless of whether you are a male or female Officer.

  Whether your child meets the conditions for an award also depends on their age. If they are aged 18 or over, a pension is NOT payable unless they are in full-time education or training, or substantially dependent on you at the time of death. The definition can include: a step child, or an adopted and illegitimate child. If you die after leaving the 1987 Scheme, your child must have been substantially dependent on you both at the time your service ended and at your death.

  Any child’s pensions that become payable on or after 6 April 2006 will cease at age 23, unless the child is dependent on you by reason of disability at the date of your death.