If a member of the FPS 2015 dies (before or after retirement), a survivor's pension will be paid to a husband, wife, civil partner, or cohabiting partner, as long as the member had a least 3 months' qualifying (calendar length) service.
The scheme member's active, deferred or retirement account would be closed and a pension account would be established for the surviving partner.
Survivor’s long term pension
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Following the death of an active scheme member, the survivor's pension would be half of the higher tier ill-health pension which the firefighter would be entitled to if they had retired on ill-health grounds on the date of death.
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Following the death of a pensioner member, the survivor's pension would be half of the deceased's pension - that is the value of the pension before any reduction for early payment but after commutation of lump sum.
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Following the death of a firefighter, or former firefighter entitled to a deferred pension which was not in payment at the date of death, the survivor's pension would be half of the deferred pension and any added pension in the member's added pension account.
Note that if the husband, wife, civil partner, or cohabiting partner is more than 12 years younger than the member, the survivor's pension would be reduced by 2.5% for every year or part year above the 12 years, to a maximum of 50%.
A surviving partner's pension is payable for life. It would not stop on marriage or remarriage or on entering into a new partnership.
In addition to the survivor's pension, a "bereavement pension" may also be payable.
Bereavement pension
For the first 13 weeks following death, the husband, wife, civil partner, or cohabiting partner will also receive a bereavement pension. In effect, this tops up the survivor's pension to the level of the firefighter's pensionable pay or assumed pensionable pay (death in service) or pension (death on pension).
There is no bereavement pension due in the case of a deferred pension which has not come into payment at the date of death.
If no pension is payable to a husband, wife, civil partner, or cohabiting partner, but a pension is payable to a child or children, the child/ren would receive the bereavement pension. If there is more than one child, the bereavement pension would be divided between them. If one of the children ceases to be eligible during the 13 weeks for which payment is to be made, the pension would be re-divided in equal portions between the remaining eligible children.
Payment of bereavement pension would also be made to an eligible child or children if a surviving partner entitled to the payment were to die before the end of the 13 week payment period. The child or children would receive bereavement pension for the remaining part of the period.
Contact your FRA's pension administrator if you would like more detailed information on any of these points or would like to discuss your personal circumstances.