Getting married for a pension

happy35

I am mid forties and in a similar position, been together years and thinking of getting married so that each of us will inherit the others annual spouse pension, we will already inherit the lump sum.

We are happy as we are but need to be married to get the pension.

Sligo

I'm in a defined benefit scheme and the rules are you have to be married for one year before the spouse can receive the pension. This has caused distress for quite a few people who have married when they are terminally ill but have not survived long enough for their spouse to benefit

Mrs_Ryan

My OH isn’t getting a penny of my pension. Anything happens to me it’s all going to my nephews (or bizarrely in the case of my Santander employees pension it’s currently going to my ex because I’m having a bit of a nightmare persuading them to change it)
We have agreed this though and he’s fine with it. It’s more to do with I want to make sure there’s some provision for my older nephew at least as he is autistic and my sister, bless her, has got nothing and her ex wants nothing to do with my older nephew because of his autism.

Sayschezza

I wont marry as my house was bought by me long before OH came on the scene and its willed to my kids although OH has the right to live in it until death (or he cohabitates) should I die first. However my pension goes to OH as he is my dependant and vice versa. Any cash I leave goes immediately to my kids after burial expenses etc are paid.

maman

I think the various posts demonstrate that what happens to a pension varies hugely with the scheme you're in and what your wishes might be. What mattters IMO is that you check out the rules for the scheme you're in and keep the paperwork updated over time as circumstances can change.:)

:wave:Mrs Ryan

Fire_Fox

sevenhills wrote: »

I had a health scare last week, it got me thinking ... I am healthy now, but you never know when your time is up ...!we are both in our fifties.

Generally trotted out to excuse unhealthy choices.

The results of a decent health screen, honest appraisal of our diet and lifestyle, and a quick look at the UK morbidity and mortality statistics can give us a pretty good idea of our 'future prospects'.

The top ten causes of death in 50+ adults are all chronic diseases, strongly linked to poor diet and lifestyle choices. Most of us in the UK can expect to be diagnosed with at least two of these, and have reduced quality of life/ disability/ pain as a result.

Those that go directly from 'apparently healthy' to 'died quickly and quietly at a good age' are highly likely to consistently meet or exceed all of their government's guidelines for healthy living. Balanced and varied wholefood diet, healthy weight and waist circumference, daily physical activity, non-smoker.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, sevenhills! :j

onwards&upwards

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Generally trotted out to excuse unhealthy choices.

The results of a decent health screen, honest appraisal of our diet and lifestyle, and a quick look at the UK morbidity and mortality statistics can give us a pretty good idea of our 'future prospects'.

The top ten causes of death in 50+ adults are all chronic diseases, strongly linked to poor diet and lifestyle choices. Most of us in the UK can expect to be diagnosed with at least two of these, and have reduced quality of life/ disability/ pain as a result.

Those that go directly from 'apparently healthy' to 'died quickly and quietly at a good age' are highly likely to consistently meet or exceed all of their government's guidelines for healthy living. Balanced and varied wholefood diet, healthy weight and waist circumference, daily physical activity, non-smoker.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, sevenhills! :j

1770 people died in car crashes last year.
585 drowned accidentally.
701 were murdered

Around 52,000 people a year die of sepsis.
Around 5000 people a year die of brain tumours
Between 6000 and 10,000 people in the UK have Huntington’s disease.

I could go on but I hope you get my point?

Fire_Fox

onwards&upwards wrote: »

1770 people died in car crashes last year.
585 drowned accidentally.
701 were murdered

Around 52,000 people a year die of sepsis.
Around 5000 people a year die of brain tumours
Between 6000 and 10,000 people in the UK have Huntington’s disease.

I could go on but I hope you get my point?

The sections of my post before and after the word "statistics" is known as "context".

TBagpuss

OP, check the rules of your pension. Many allow you to nominate whomever you want to receive the death benefits (I am signle so have niominated my siblings)
You cnaoften also state whether you want a single or joint pension - joint pays a spouses pension if you die first, but generally pays less while you are alive, single stops on your death but pays more when in payment.

getting married does make things simpler when one of you dies - there are significant savings on inheritance tax (if your estate is big enough for that to matter) and it puts your partner in a stronger postion to be involved in any end of life decisions.

You can (and should) review your finacial ;position and make sur ethat you both have up to date wills, whether or not you also chose to marry.

onwards&upwards

Fire_Fox wrote: »

The sections of my post before and after the word "statistics" is known as "context".

Just saying, you can be the most virtuous, healthiest person in the world and you still don’t know if you’ll be here tomorrow or next year or in five years.