NHS Pension and Expression of Wishes

weezie7

MX%huggy, thank you for your response, but not a good reason to get married!!

Marcon

weezie7 said:

MX%huggy, thank you for your response, but not a good reason to get married!!

You'd be surprised how many people think it's a very good reason to get married!

Rodders53

Marcon said:

You'd be surprised how many people think it's a very good reason to get married!

Or 
You'd be surprised how many people think it should have been a good reason to get married, but only after the death of their cohabiting partner.

Silvertabby

Do you both have Wills in place?  Contrary to popular belief, 'common law spouse' has no meaning in law  whatsoever.

If either of you were to die intestate, your estate would only go to a blood relative - even a cousin that you have never met - rather than to the survivor.

And what if either of you were to be seriously ill in hospital?  The other is neither spouse nor family, and so won't have any say in the treatment of the sick partner.

We are not suggesting the full big frock and church bells deal - just a few minutes in a registry office with a couple of mates as witnesses would seal the deal.  Marriage may just seem like an unneccessary bit of paper to you, but when the chips are down it could make a world of difference to the survivor.

Marcon

Rodders53 said:

Marcon said:

You'd be surprised how many people think it's a very good reason to get married!

Or 
You'd be surprised how many people think it should have been a good reason to get married, but only after the death of their cohabiting partner.

Couldn't agree more - which is precisely why my post didn't say they necessarily went beyond the thinking stage!

weezie7

Thanks for all the comments. Will bvear them all in mind! We do have wills, by the way!

Flugelhorn

Marcon said:

Rodders53 said:

Marcon said:

You'd be surprised how many people think it's a very good reason to get married!

Or 
You'd be surprised how many people think it should have been a good reason to get married, but only after the death of their cohabiting partner.

Couldn't agree more - which is precisely why my post didn't say they necessarily went beyond the thinking stage!

absolutely - there can't be a great many reasons not to in these circumstances - unless one partner is not free to marry and that alone can cause problems with pensions and inheritance 

Moonwolf

weezie7 said:

Thanks for all the comments. Will bvear them all in mind! We do have wills, by the way!

Although remember, a pension is outside your will and it is up to the pension trustees who, how and if a partners pension is payable.  For the NHS the rules are laid out.

From the survivors guide linked by @sheramber earlier in the thread.

"An adult dependant’s pension is payable to an eligible spouse, registered civil partner or a qualifying scheme partner who meets all eligibility conditions as noted on the partner nomination form (PN1)."

This is the PN1 and hopefully you have completed one, if you can't remember it might be worth checking with NHS BSA or completing a new one.

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2024-05/Nomination-PN1-20240430-(V11).pdf

Keep_pedalling

Do either of you have more than £325k in assets? If you do you have a very good reason to get married or form a civil partnership to avoid IHT  on the first death.

GrubbyGirl_2

Marcon said:

weezie7 said:

MX%huggy, thank you for your response, but not a good reason to get married!!

You'd be surprised how many people think it's a very good reason to get married!

I think it's the only good reason to get married haha