Death after retirement

What will my spouse receive?

For the first three months your spouse’s pension will normally be at the rate equal to your pension. For some members who retired from the UKAEA pension schemes a long time ago different arrangements may apply regarding this short term spouse pension.

Will my spouse receive an annual pension?

If you die after the pension has become payable, your spouse will receive a pension for life normally at least half the rate of your pension, unless they remarry or cohabit with another person.

For historical reasons the pension paid to your spouse may be less than half of your pension. For example female members who began scheme service before April 1988 and have not elected to include the pre 1988 service for the spouse pension will have provided for less than half of their pension.

What if I married or remarried after I retired?

If your current marriage took place after your retirement, the widow’s pension will be based on scheme service after 6 April 1978 (or 6 April 1988 for a widower’s pension) or date of entry to the Scheme, if later.

Children’s Pensions

Who is eligible to receive children’s pensions?

Children’s pensions are payable to children under 17 years of age. A child’s pension may continue after age 17 provided the child is in full time education. It is a requirement of the scheme that children’s pensions in payment beyond the age of 17 are reviewed annually and a certificate confirming continued entitlement is obtained and sent to the Pensions Administration Office, Thurso.

Do I have to be the parent of the child for them to receive benefits from the UKAEA pension scheme?

Normally the pension would be payable to the children of the deceased member. However, there is provision in the pension scheme rules for children’s pensions to be paid to certain children that are related to and who were financially dependent upon the member prior to his death.

Pension Payments

In practice the pension payments in respect of young children are paid to the member’s widow/widower or the child’s guardian. In respect of older children, who have their own bank accounts, the pension payments are made directly to the child.

How much do the children receive from the scheme?

If the spouse has care of the eligible children, their pensions will be payable from the date on which the widow(er)’s annual pension starts and will be equal to a quarter of your pension for each of the eldest two children at any one time, making a total of half of your pension payable in respect of any two children. If you have eligible children who are not in the care of your spouse, pensions may be payable to them but different limits may then apply.

What happens when the children are no longer eligible to receive a pension?

Each child’s pension is treated separately and when each child that receives a UKAEA pension completes their full time education or ceases to be eligible the Pensions Administration Office at Thurso should be told immediately to avoid the need to recover overpayments.

Supplementary Lump Sum

If you die shortly after retirement a supplementary lump sum may normally be paid equal to 5 years’ worth of your pension less the pension payments you have already received and the lump sum previously paid to you. This does not affect entitlement to a widow(er)’s pension.