Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council

What happens if I die in service?

Death Grant

If you die in service while an active member of the scheme, and before age 75, a lump sum death grant of three times your Assumed Pensionable Pay will be payable.

You can let us know  who you would like any death grant to be paid by completing and returning a Death Grant Nomination Form.

You can nominate anyone to receive the death grant however the Fund is not legally bound by your nomination and retains absolute discretion as to who receives payment but will take your wishes into account.

Survivors Pension

In the event of your death there is a pension for your spouse, registered civil partner or subject to certain qualifying conditions, your eligible co-habiting partner.  The pension is calculated as:

  • for membership built up from 1 April 2014 to the date of death the pension payable is 1/160th of your pensionable pay times you membership in the scheme after 31 March 2014

plus

  • 49/160ths of the amount of any pension credited to your pension account following a transfer of pension rights

plus

  • pension equal to 1/160th of your assumed pensionable pay for each year of membership you would have built up from your date of death to your normal pension age

Co-habiting partners pension is calculated the same way but only membership from 6 April 1988 can be taken into account (unless you have made an election before 1st April 2014 to buy back some or all of your membership so that it counts towards this calculation).

The pension remains payable for the rest of your husband's, wife's, civil partners or co-habiting partners pension life and will increase each year in line with the appropriate cost of living index.

Co-habiting Partner

To qualify as a co-habiting partner you have to meet the following criteria for a period of at least  2 years:

  • you are both free to marry or form a civil partnership,
  • you are living together as if you were husband and wife or civil partners,
  • neither of you is living with a third person as if you were husband and wife or as if you were civil partners and,
  • you are financially dependent or interdependent on each other.

Children's Pension

Children's pensions are payable to children who are under the age of 18 or under the age of 23 providing they remain in full time education. A child's pension may be payable to a child after the age of 23 if before the age of 23 they became physically or mentally disabled and, in the opinion of an Independent Registered Medical Practitioner the impairment is likely to be permanent and the person was dependent on the scheme member at the date of death because of that physical or mental impairment.

If there is no pension payable to a spouse, civil partner or co-habiting partner then any pensions payable to dependant children are increased.