EPN264 - Death in service and dependant benefit communications

Date posted: 01/01/2010

Audience: This Notice will be of particular interest to:

• Welfare Officers who are responsible for liaising with pensions administrators in the event of a death in service and, where applicable, liaising with family members or personal representatives of the deceased
• Staff who manage the pensions administration contract or service level agreement

Action: Destroy any death in service forms you may hold

If you are a Welfare Officer with specific responsibility to support bereaved families through the death benefit claim process, you may wish to meet with your pensions administrator to discuss whether or not changes in the process for them affects your contact with the bereaved family members

Timing: 1 February 2010

Background

Usually, the only involvement employers have when dealing with a death in service case is to notify (immediately) the pensions administrator and payroll of the death. This will not change. However, if you are a Welfare Officer and have a specific role in supporting bereaved families through the death benefit claim process, you should note that we have changed the content of the letter templates that the pensions administrators use to communicate with the deceased’s dependants and personal representative(s). We have already amended the death in service booklet series to include more detail about:

• what benefits are available and to whom
• how benefits are calculated, and
• the payment process

You may wish to meet with your pensions administrator colleagues to discuss the new process, and ask for samples of the revised letter templates and associated forms. We envisage, however, that there will be little or no change to current practices for Welfare Officers.

We have told Pensions administrators to start using the new letters and forms from 1 February 2010.

Booklets

The booklets titles remain as they are now. So that you are using the most up to date versions, the booklets are listed below, along with their publication date:

• ‘nuvos benefits on death in service. A brief guide to the benefits available’ [publication date September 2009]
• ‘classic benefits on death in service. A brief guide to the benefits available’ [publication date October 2009]
• ‘classic plus and premium benefits on death in service. A brief guide to the benefits available’ [publication date October 2009]

You can order these booklets from your pensions administrator. Alternatively, you can view pdf. versions of the booklets on our website.

Contacts

Enquiries about content, distribution or to receive in a different format

employerhelpdesk@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
01256 846414
Employer Helpdesk
Civil Service Pensions
Grosvenor House
Basing View
Basingstoke
RG21 4HG