If a member dies in service, you should contact Teachers’ Pensions and provide us with:

• The teacher’s name
• Teachers' Pensions Reference number
• Date of death
• Up to date service and salary details
• The name and address of the next of kin.

An application form will then be issued for benefits to the next of kin.

You must download and complete the Teacher death - Service and Salary Information form (22A) (PDF, 346 KB) (This link opens in a new window). Please return this to enable us to pay the death grant.

In addition, the next of kin needs to download and complete the death notification and application form (PDF, 927 KB) (This link opens in a new window) for death benefits to ensure we have all the information needed to process as quickly as possible.

Will I be required to make any payments?

No. From 1 February 2016 Teachers’ Pensions pay the short-term pension payment, if appropriate. This short-term pension, previously paid by the employer, is paid for a period of 3 to 6 months. The size of the short-term pension is based on the member’s annual rate of pensionable earnings at the date of their death, less deductions for income tax.

We pay the Short-term pension for three months where the deceased member had a spouse, registered civil partner, adult nominated dependant or partner. If there are also dependent children we’ll pay the short-term pension for a period of six months (also the case if the only dependents are children). In either case, once the short-term pension period ceases a long-term pension will come into payment.

If a member dies while in Phased Retirement the pension benefits paid will be a combination of short-term pension and family pension benefits (the latter based on benefits already in payment).

Short-term pensions paid to adults are subject to PAYE income tax deductions. Any queries about tax should be directed to your tax office.

What happens after the short term pension ends?

We’ll put a long-term pension into payment. If a member dies in service any Beneficiary pension that is due will be enhanced. The long-term pension for a career average member is the value of 37.5% of the member’s accrued pension plus an enhancement, which is calculated by using half of the deceased member’s prospective remaining service to Normal Pension Age (NPA) multiplied by 1/57th of the annual rate of pensionable earnings at the date of death.

The enhancement applied to the long-term pension is as if the member was in full-time in their respective employment(s).