Death benefits

Certain beneficiaries may be entitled to receive benefits from the Scheme in the event of your death.

Benefits might include:

• a dependant’s pension and/or children’s allowance
• a lump sum
• a bereavement grant.

Once a death has been reported to the Scheme’s administrator, Aptia will write to the person dealing with the deceased member’s affairs with all the relevant details for any benefits that beneficiaries may be entitled to, and with information on how those benefits may be claimed.

The Scheme may pay a pension to a dependant on a member’s death. A dependant is defined as someone who is financially dependent or inter-dependent on your finances.

If you’re married or in a civil partnership, your partner will be automatically treated as your dependant. If you’re not married, you can nominate a dependant to receive your pension.

A lump sum is paid if a pensioner member dies within the first five years of the first pension payment. It is based on the amount the pensioner member would have been paid over the remaining years up to that five-year mark. The benefit will be paid to a beneficiary or beneficiaries chosen by the Trustee.

Please note, this lump sum doesn’t apply to dependant pensioners who die within the first five years of pension payment.

Remember to keep your nomination forms up to date to allow the Trustees recent information on which to base their decision on who will receive benefits. You can view and update your beneficiaries by logging into OneView or by contacting Aptia.

There’s more information on how to nominate or change your beneficiaries on the ‘Need to update us?’ webpage.

If a dependant member dies, no further benefits will be payable from the Scheme. Once the death has been reported, the Scheme Administrators, Aptia, will stop the payments.