Old Pension beneficiary query

tiny_courageous

Bit of a query.

Stepfather died in 2014. No will, no estate, nothing of value so all handled by my mother, pretty straightforward, she remained in the rented accommodation they shared.

Mother died in 2016. Again, no will, no assets.

Going through the vast amount of paperwork I've found, it appears that stepdad may have had a pension through his work. I don't think it would have been very substantial as he had only worked there a few years before his death.

If there is anything in that pension, who would it go to? Presumably had it been discovered prior to my mums death it would have gone to her. As she's now also passed away, where does it go?

Stepdad had two children who he never saw, I understand. I wouldn't have the first clue who they were, to be honest

Linton

What happens to the pension depends on whether he was in receipt of money from the pension when he died - eg did he die before or after retirement?

I assume from what you say that he died before he could access the pension. In that case then if it was a DB ("final salary"/"average salary") scheme the scheme rules would specify. For a DC pension the money would normally go as a lump sum to the person he nominated when setting up the pension, though the trustees have the right to choose some other recipient.

Probably best to contact his employer.

da_rule

If there is anything to be paid out it would depend on whether there was a trust as part of any payout that was to benefit a named person, if so it would go to them. If this was your mum then it would be distributed as part of her estate.

If there is no trust and it is a straightforward payment to your dads estate it will be distributed as if it had been done at the time (so again may all go to your mum and form part of her estate).

Also, worth noting that if you are going to be the administrator of your mums estate you can also act as the administrator of your dads estate (as her duties would now have passed to you).