Death benefits
The TPS will pay a lump sum death grant if:
- you die while you are employed in pensionable employment;
- you die while you are paying current added years; or
- you die within a year of leaving pensionable employment (because of ill-health) and you have not been receiving an ill health pension.
In these cases, there is no minimum qualifying period and the death grant will be three times your average salary. If you die during further pensionable employment after retirement including phased retirement the TPS will pay a lump sum, worked out using three times your average salary less any lump sum benefits you have previously been paid. If you die after leaving pensionable employment the death grant will be based upon:
- your actual reckonable service if you have 2 or more years reckonable service; or
- your pension contributions plus interest of 3% if you have less than 2 years reckonable service.
Payment of a death grant
The death grant can be paid to a person you nominate, to your widow, widower, civil partner or, if you are unmarried or have not registered a civil partnership or nominated a partner when you die, to your estate. Your survivors should complete an application form which they can get from your employer or direct from us.
Nomination for a death grant
Your nomination for receipt of the death grant must be made on the Death Grant Nomination form that is available in the Forms and Leaflets section.
Additional pension
If you die within 12 months of commencing the purchase of additional pension your contributions will be returned.
If the contributions have been paid by the employer and you die within 12 months the contributions will be returned to the employer.
If you die after 12 months and have not purchased both personal and dependants additional pension then no benefits will be paid. If however you have purchased both personal and dependants additional pension your dependant will receive an additional pension together with any other TPS benefits.
