Children's pensions are payable to eligible children and increase every year in line with the cost of living. They are paid for as long as they remain an eligible child.
Eligible children
Eligible children are your children. At the date of your death they must be:
- your natural child (who must be born within 12 months of your death) or
- your adopted child or
- your step-child or a child accepted by you as being a member of your family (not including a child you sponsor for charity) and be dependent on you.
Your eligible children must meet the following conditions:
- be under age 18 or
- under 23 and in full-time education or vocational training or
- be unable to engage in gainful employment because of physical or mental impairment and either:
- has not reached the age of 23 or
- the impairment is, in the opinion of an Independent Registered Medical Practitioner, likely to be permanent and the child was dependent on you because of that impairment.
Transferred in pension
If you have an amount of pension credited to your pension account following a transfer of pension rights into the scheme, a pension equal to 49/160ths of that amount of pension will be added to any children's pension.
The 50/50 section
If you are in the 50/50 section of the scheme when you die this does not impact on the value of any children's pension.
Entitlement
The amount of pension depends on the number of eligible children you have and if a survivor's pension is payable. A survivor's pension is payable to your husband, wife, civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner.
Find out how the the pension is calculated for eligible children if a:
Other benefits that may be payable
A survivor's pension may be payable on your death to your husband, wife, registered civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner.
A lump sum death grant is payable on your death no matter how long you have been a member of the scheme.
Find out about what happens on your death if you paid extra contributions