Short term pension
If you left the LGPS before 1 April 2008, a short term pension at a higher rate may be payable to your surviving spouse or civil partner for 3 months. It is paid for 6 months if there is an eligible child in the care of the surviving spouse or civil partner.
This pension is usually equal to your pension. If you are a woman, the short term pension paid to a widower may be based on your LGPS membership after 5 April 1988 only. If you married or entered into your civil partnership after leaving the LGPS, the amount of short-term pension may be less than the value of your pension.
The benefits following the short-term pension, or if there is no short-term pension, are generally calculated as:
For your spouse
Membership from 1 April 2014
1/160th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account.
Membership up to 31 March 2014
1/160th of your final pay times (x) the period of your membership up to 31 March 2014.
For both periods of membership, however, if you marry after leaving the LGPS:
- the survivor's pension paid to a widow of an opposite sex marriage is based on your membership after 5 April 1978
- the survivor's pension paid to a widower of an opposite sex marriage is based on your membership after 5 April 1988
- the survivor's pension of a same sex marriage is based on your membership after 5 April 1978.
For your civil partner
Membership from 1 April 2014
1/160th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account.
Membership up to 31 March 2014
1/160th of your final pay times (x) the period of your membership up to 31 March 2014.
For both periods of membership, however, if you enter into a civil partnership after leaving the LGPS your civil partner's pension would be based on:
- your membership after 5 April 1978, or
- on all of your membership if you left the LGPS between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2014 and you, or your civil partner, made an election before 1 April 2015 for pre 6 April 1988 membership to also count.
For your eligible cohabiting partner
Membership from 1 April 2014
1/160th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account.
Membership up to 31 March 2014
1/160th of your final pay times (x) the period of your membership from 6 April 1988 up to 31 March 2014, plus any membership before 6 April 1988 if you elected to pay additional contributions to make it count.*
*An election to pay additional contributions to make membership before 6 April 1988 count towards the calculation of cohabiting partner's pension must have been made before 1 April 2014.
For a cohabiting partner to be entitled to receive a survivor's pension you must have paid into the LGPS on or after 1 April 2008 and your relationship must meet certain qualifying conditions laid down by the LGPS.
For your eligible children
Children's pensions are payable to eligible children and increase every year in line with the cost of living. The amount of pension depends on the number of eligible children you have and if a partner's pension is being paid to a spouse, civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner.
If you left the LGPS before 1 April 2008 a short-term pension equal to the level of your pension may be payable to your eligible child(ren):
- if there is no surviving spouse or civil partner's pension payable a short-term pension would be paid for six months
- if there is a surviving spouse or civil partner's pension payable but the eligible child(ren) are not in the care of the surviving spouse or civil partner a short-term pension would be payable for three months.
The benefits following the short-term pension, or if there is no short-term pension, are generally calculated as:
If a partner's pension is being paid to your spouse, civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner:
One child
Membership from 1 April 2014
1/320th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account.
Membership up to 31 March 2014
1/320th of your final pay times (x) the period of your membership in the scheme up to 31 March 2014.
Two or more children
Membership from 1 April 2014
1/160th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account.
Membership up to 31 March 2014
1/160th of your final pay times (x) the period of your membership in the scheme up to 31 March 2014.
If no partner's pension is being paid to your spouse, civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner:
One child
Membership from 1 April 2014
1/240th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account.
Membership up to 31 March 2014
1/240th of your final pay times (x) the period of your membership in the scheme up to 31 March 2014.
Two or more children
Membership from 1 April 2014
1/120th of the pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay you received in each year plus a proportion of any transfer of pension rights credited to your pension account.
Membership up to 31 March 2014
1/120th of your final pay times (x) the period of your membership in the scheme up to 31 March 2014.
If you left the LGPS on or after 1 April 2014 and a pension is payable to two or more children, the pension will be shared equally; if you left before 1 April 2014, we may share out the pension between the children as we see fit.