Overview
Life assurance benefits can provide important financial support for your loved ones at a difficult time. Understanding how your membership status affects these benefits can help you plan effectively and ensure your dependants are protected.
Members of the NHS Scheme are automatically covered by the Scheme’s life assurance benefits, and this benefit will also cover you after retirement. If you stop contributing to the Scheme, the death in service cover will cease.
Pension and lump sum benefits are payable to your eligible dependants in the event of your death. Your circumstances at the time of your death will determine what benefits will be payable.
The value and type of benefits that may be paid can vary depending on factors such as your age, employment status and the section of the Scheme you belong to. You will learn more about lump sum payments, who may receive them and how they are calculated.
Your legal spouse, civil partner or long-term partner can apply for an adult dependant’s pension. A long-term partner is considered to be an individual whom you have an exclusive long-term committed relationship with. You and your partner must have been living together for at least two years before your date of death, and you both will need to be free to marry or enter into a civil partnership. In addition, you must also be either financially interdependent, or your partner must be financially dependent on you.
Children's pensions can help provide ongoing financial support for those eligible, following the death of a member. Depending on circumstances, those over 18 may be considered children for the purposes of death benefits. There may also be allowances for those in full-time education.