Cohabiting Partner's Pension
If you die before your nominated cohabiting partner (opposite or same sex partner), he or she, as your nominated cohabiting partner will become entitled to part of your pension for the rest of his or her life. Local Government dependant cohabiting partner's pensions no longer cease upon cohabitation with another person.
Long-term Nominated Cohabiting Partner's Pension
If you have not already done so, provided you contributed to the LGPS at some point since 1st April 2008, you can nominate a cohabiting partner as beneficiary of any dependant's benefit that may become payable in the event of your death. For a cohabiting partner nomination to be valid both you and your partner MUST sign a declaration confirming that you are cohabiting partners and that:
i) Your cohabitation had been continuous for at least 2 years at the date that the declaration is signed
ii) You are free to marry or enter into a civil partnership at any time
iii) You are living together as if husband and wife or civil partners
iv) You are not living with a third person as if husband or wife or civil partners
v) Either your partner is financially dependent upon you or you are financially inter-dependent upon each other
If you die before your nominated cohabiting partner he or she will become entitled to a long-term nominated cohabiting partner's pension. A long-term nominated cohabiting partner's pension is equal to 1/160th of your final pay (i.e. the final used to calculate your pension) for each year of your membership built up since 6th April 1988. To this is added full inflation proofing and the pension is payable for life.
IMPORTANT: If you and your partner DO NOT complete a nomination form a pension WILL NOT be paid to your partner in the event of your death even if the above conditions are satisfied.
For further guidance on nominating a cohabiting partner please follow the link to our factsheet - 'Nominating a Cohabiting Partner for a Survivor's Pension'. If you would prefer to have a copy of this factsheet forwarded to your home address please contact us on 0845 6027237.
