Death benefits

If you retired on grounds of ill health, the lump sum payable in the event of death is: three times your pensionable salary at the date of leaving service less the pension payments already paid.

If you retired for reasons other than ill health, your pension is guaranteed to be paid for five years and your lifetime thereafter. If you die within the five-year guarantee period, the balance of pension due to be paid in that period is paid as a lump sum.

Generally, only the period during which you paid Family Benefit Contributions (FBCs) is considered when working out whether family benefits are payable, and not the length of your contributing membership, if this is different.

The following is a summary of the arrangements which applied to contributing members: 

• Men have always had the right to pay FBCs on joining the Scheme. 
• Payment of FBCs was made compulsory for married men who joined the Scheme from 1952. 
• Payment of FBCs was compulsory for all men from April 1978. 
• Women were given the right to pay for family benefits from April 1980 (prior to this the right only existed where the spouse or children were fully dependant on the contributor). 
• Contributors were able to purchase additional years for family benefits for earlier service when FBCs were not paid. 
• From April 1993, all women accrued family benefits. 
• An FBC holiday began on April 1993 and continued until the Scheme was closed on privatisation.

BCSSS members can name the person or persons they would like to receive any cash sum payable on their death. Cash sums are payable in respect of members who die before their pension has come into payment or who die within the ‘guarantee period’ (five years for most members) after their pension starts.

The Trustees have a discretionary power to pay any cash sum on death to a relative or dependant rather than to your estate. Although (mainly for tax reasons) trustees cannot be forced to follow your wishes, the Scheme’s Trustees will, if you complete a form, be able to take them into account. You can download and complete a form below, or you can obtain a copy from the administration office. 

If you have already completed a Death Benefit Election & Declaration Form, please think about whether your circumstances have changed and if it might need to be updated.

If you die, a pension may be payable to your spouse or civil partner.

Unmarried members can provide the Scheme administrator with information about an adult dependant (they must be financially dependant on the member) whom they want to be considered for a dependant's pension.