If an NHS pension member has died, you should let us know as soon as you can. Once we know, we can make sure all the monies and benefits are paid quickly and accurately.
If we do not know, we may continue to make payments. This means whoever is dealing with the estate will need to repay the debt.
Before you contact us
Was the deceased in active employment?
If the deceased was actively employed in the NHS, you do not need to contact us.
You should contact their employer.
Have you used the Tell Us Once service?
If you have used Tell Us Once, you do not need to contact us.
Tell Us Once is a DWP service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go.
Was the deceased not actively employed?
If the deceased member was not actively employed in the NHS, contact us.
Make sure you have the deceased member's:
- National Insurance number
- membership number, if known
This will make it easier for us to find their record and give you the help you need.
All members of the NHS Pension Scheme have an 8-digit membership number. You can find the membership number at the top of any letters received from us. Older letters may show it like this, 'SD 00 /123456' and newer letters will show 00123456.
You can find this on:
- their NHS Total Reward Statement (TRS)
- any correspondence we've sent personal to the deceased member
- their payslip, if their employer used Electronic Staff Record (ESR)
If you do not know their membership number, you can provide their National Insurance number.
How to let us know
The easiest way to do this is to contact us.
When you contact us, we'll tell you what benefits may be payable and guide you through how to claim.
How we’ll support you
NHS pension members can nominate someone to receive lump sum and pension benefits after they’ve gone. We call these people ‘eligible dependants’.
An eligible dependant could be:
Applying for an eligible dependant’s pension
If someone qualifies as an eligible dependant, we will send an application form for them to complete so that their pension can start as soon as possible.
If a continuing adult dependant’s pension is less than £260 a year, we’ll calculate whether or not the pension can be changed to a one-off lump sum payment.
The benefits that will be payable will depend on what type of NHS Pension Scheme the late pension member was in, and their circumstances at the time that they passed away.
Receiving a lump sum
We’ll contact the eligible dependant if:
- a lump sum is due
- we need further information to pay the lump sum
We’ll also contact you, if we need to see any documents relating to probate, to allow the lump sum to be paid.
What happens when a lump sum is paid
The lump sum is paid into a nominated bank or building society account.
Once you notify us of the death of the pension member, lump sums must be paid within 2 years of the date of notification.
After 2 years, the lump sum would be subject to an HMRC tax charge of up to 45%. We have no discretion over this.
Finding more information
Read our Survivor's Guide (PDF: 377KB) for information about:
- the lump sum payable on death and pension payable
- adult dependant's pensions and child dependant's pensions
If you need any support with this process, contact us.