Widow(er)s' Pension Scheme

Taxicab

As a single person am I entitled to a refund of contributions if I am not leaving a pension if I die to a spouse? Any info on this would be helpful. I can only find info on civil service pensions but have been told that this should apply to all public sector pensions.

zagubov

We won't know. Have you logged into your specific pension's website or contacted them by phone. 
Many pension organisations can't offer advice (nor can we) but can answer yes or no questions. Often you can request to phone them during the working day and if thy know what question they're answering, they'll be able to sort you out.

Brie

Check if you are able to leave a pension to someone else if you don't have a spouse.  I remember a big fight when I was  admin on an occupational pension as an employee decided that the recipient of her "spouse's" pension should be her daughter.  There was nothing in the scheme rules against it even though it wasn't the intention.  But the employee was dreadfully ill and not expected to live long despite not being yet of pensionable age and was divorced so money going to the daughter made a lot of sense.  

I expect that most pension admins would be hard pressed to answer this sort of question without talking to the pension trustees.

Silvertabby

Can't speak for other public sector pension schemes, but certainly the LGPS and the AFPS don't refund widow's pension contributions to unmarried pensioners.

sammyjammy

Civil Service (Classic scheme)  historically (pre 2014) was a non contributory pension but 1.5% was paid towards a widows pension, thats why its refunded if you retire unmarried (or divorced).  Did that kind of situation apply to your pension?

xylophone

Can't speak for other public sector pension schemes, but certainly the LGPS and the AFPS don't refund widow's pension contributions to unmarried pensioners.

It's a Civil Service Pension Scheme concession.

https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/knowledge-centre/pension-schemes/classic-plus-scheme-guide/getting-your-pension/

Refund of widow(er)s’ pension (WPS) contributions (The contributions you paid up to and including 30 September 2002)

If you are unmarried throughout your service you are entitled to a refund of WPS contributions when your pension comes into payment. If you partially retire and claim your pension then the refund of WPS contributions will not be paid until you take full retirement.

If you have been married or in a civil partnership for only part of your service on or prior to 30 September 2002, you are entitled to a refund of the contributions you have paid since your marriage or civil partnership ended. These contributions will be refunded with interest. A deduction of a single, non-returnable payment will be made to cover the cost to the scheme of providing a pension to a widow, widower or surviving civil partner if you marry or enter a civil partnership after claiming your pension and die before your wife, husband or civil partner.

We work out your pension in two parts. You earn 1/80 of your final pensionable earnings for each year of reckonable service in the scheme before 1 October 2002 and 1/60 of your final pensionable earnings for every year of reckonable service in the scheme from 1 October 2002.

Taxicab

Thank you so much for all the comments. Will contact my pension provider asap. Just thought I might be asking a daft question as nobody else seemed to know anything about it.