Death In Service Payment - Very Naive Question

Saga

Does an employer pay this only if you die while actually on the job (and then does that mean only on their premises), or simply if you die while currently employed?

strawb_shortcake

Whilst employed, you don't need to be on the premises 

user1977

Though it is possible that they pay more if you actually die while at work. (colleagues at my last job had a pact that if necessary they'd drag the other's body into the office to qualify for the higher payout...) 

csgohan4

If NHS death in service, I wouldn't trust it. I would rely on a product you know would pay out regardless of location or job at the time if you do other NHS/private work

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/family-refused-nhs-death-in-service-payout-after-gp-dies-on-day-off-wzqctqlsblm

kingstreet

I thought it worth by-passing the Times paywall to provide the gist of the case csgohan is referring to;-

"As reported in this week’s edition of the FT Adviser, a weekly publication from the Financial Times, the ombudsman said “…although it appeared that she was engaged in a regular pattern of work at the time of her death, she was self-employed and because she died on a day when she was in-between working, the small print of the NHS Pension Scheme meant she was not in pensionable employment at the time of her death.”

For a GP partner, or a salaried GP pensioning their income as a Type 2 Practitioner in the NHS Scheme, a far more generous death-in-service benefit would have applied, since the individual is deemed as being in pensionable income 24/7. Where as for a GP locum in the NHS Pension Scheme, the full benefits may only apply if they die at work.

FT Adviser also goes on to say that ‘[High Court] Judge Justice Trower said: “In the present case, I do not consider that it is possible to say that Dr Sanderson was still engaged under a contract for services at the time of her death.”

jimbo6977

kingstreet said:

I thought it worth by-passing the Times paywall to provide the gist of the case csgohan is referring to;-

"As reported in this week’s edition of the FT Adviser, a weekly publication from the Financial Times, the ombudsman said “…although it appeared that she was engaged in a regular pattern of work at the time of her death, she was self-employed and because she died on a day when she was in-between working, the small print of the NHS Pension Scheme meant she was not in pensionable employment at the time of her death.”

For a GP partner, or a salaried GP pensioning their income as a Type 2 Practitioner in the NHS Scheme, a far more generous death-in-service benefit would have applied, since the individual is deemed as being in pensionable income 24/7. Where as for a GP locum in the NHS Pension Scheme, the full benefits may only apply if they die at work.

FT Adviser also goes on to say that ‘[High Court] Judge Justice Trower said: “In the present case, I do not consider that it is possible to say that Dr Sanderson was still engaged under a contract for services at the time of her death.”

I'm imagining a more imaginative/contrarian judge saying, "She was employed at time of death, so she can have the DiS payout, but as she was not really self-employed, her estate owes the exchequer year upon year of NI payments."

csgohan4

Thanks Kingstreet,

but shocking behavior and worming their way out of claiming sadly. That's why I wouldn't trust employer death in benefits unless it was iron clad in your favor

Basically one would need to die on the job to have any chance of 100% claiming which is sad. What I do in my free time, be it free lancing or watching paint dry shouldn't have any baring on a claim

tacpot12

Any death in service benefit should always been seen as a bonus. Anyone with dependents to protect needs to have their own life insurance that will always payout regardless of whether they are working or not. 

Saga

tacpot12 said:

Any death in service benefit should always been seen as a bonus. Anyone with dependents to protect needs to have their own life insurance that will always payout regardless of whether they are working or not. 

I didn't think they paid out in the case of suicide?

MalMonroe

This will always be explained in contracts of employment. Read the small print. My last job didn't offer this. At all. So if any job does, that is a bonus, as tacpot12 says and something to be grateful for, no matter how small the sum.

MalMonroe

Saga said:

tacpot12 said:

Any death in service benefit should always been seen as a bonus. Anyone with dependents to protect needs to have their own life insurance that will always payout regardless of whether they are working or not. 

I didn't think they paid out in the case of suicide?

Doesn't that depend on the terms and conditions of any policy?

Seems a bit old-fashioned and discriminatory to me.