6.4 Death in service

6.4.1 As soon as you learn of a death in service, you must contact your payroll and the Scheme Administrator immediately and tell them of the death (for partnership members, please see ‘Steps to follow for partnership members’ in paragraph 6.4.5). The Scheme Administrator needs to know information such as next of kin and the name of the personal representative (this is a person who produces a Grant of Probate, Will, Letters of Administration or, in Scotland, Confirmation of Executor).

You should complete a Request for Services form to notify the Scheme Administrator of the death in service. The form will prompt you to provide information such as the next of kin/personal representative, as well as details of the member’s death benefit nomination (if any) and other important information relating to the member’s pension.

We advise your HR contact, who deals with such sensitive issues, to contact the Scheme Administrator for further information on:

• what information they usually require, and
• their process for handling matters concerning the deceased’s pension benefits.

This will then help the Welfare Officer explain the role of the Scheme Administrator to the next of kin/personal representative.

6.4.2 You will need to get evidence of the death, such as the death certificate. If no death certificate is available, you must make your own checks. This is to make sure that the death has taken place. You may check, for example, by getting evidence from the coroner or police that they are satisfied that the person has died.

6.4.3 The Scheme Administrator pays the death benefit immediately where there is proof of death and a valid nomination form. Where there is no valid nomination, they will pay the death benefit to the personal representative or the deceased member’s estate on receipt of the required documents. This could include a Grant of Probate,  Will, Letters of Administration or, in Scotland, Confirmation of Executor.

6.4.4 As well as the death benefit, the Scheme Administrator may pay family benefits to the legal widow or widower, civil partner, children and other dependants of the member.

6.4.5 You must inform your payroll of the death as soon as possible. Your payroll must then inform the pension provider via the interface as advised in the ‘Managing Submissions Interface Guide’ issued in EPN533. You must also advise the Scheme Administrator of the death as soon as possible so that they can work out any benefits for the member’s dependants.

6.4.6 If a classic, classic plus, premium, nuvos or alpha member has left your employment and dies before they reach pension age, the Scheme Administrator works out and pays the death benefits. The benefits are based on the member’s award at the time that they left your employment. The Scheme Administrator pays the death benefit lump sum to the nominee or the legal representative, as appropriate. They will also pay any pensions that may be due to surviving dependants.

6.4.7 If you receive any calls regarding a deferred member’s death benefits, you should refer the caller to the Scheme Administrator.

6.4.8 If the member was in either classic or classic plus and not married when they left your employment and remained unmarried until they died, a refund Widow(er)’s Pension Scheme (WPS) contributions may be payable.  It does not form part of the death benefit. The representative of the deceased member must apply for it separately, in writing, to the Scheme Administrator. You must pass any written applications that you receive to the Scheme Administrator.