Pensions for Family Members

Spouse and partner pension

The Classic Scheme provides the benefit of a Spouse's or Civil Partner's Pension payable upon death of a scheme member. The Classic Plus, Premium and Nuvos Scheme's provide for a Spouse's, Civil Partner's or Partner's pension also payable upon the death of a scheme member.

A spouse's or civil partner's pension can only be paid to the person to whom the member is married to, or in a civil partnership with, at the time of death. If the scheme member dies in service, the spouse's or civil partner's pension may be enhanced.

In the Classic, Classic Plus and Premium schemes the spouse's or civil partner's pension is normally 1/160 times pensionable pay for each year of reckonable service.

In the Nuvos scheme the spouse's, civil partner's or partners pension is normally 37.5% of the accrued member's pension.

Classic Plus, Premium and Nuvos - where there is no legal marriage or civil partnership, there is a facility to pay a partner pension to a nominated partner, conditions apply. For example, the partner must be registered as required by JSS pensions and they must be financially dependent on the member or there must be a financial interdependence. (This facility doesn't apply to Classic members).

To nominate a partner you must both be free to marry. A spouse or civil partner does not need to be nominated for a spouse's or civil partner's pension, the pension is automatically paid to a spouse or civil partner subject to receipt of the appropriate certificate.

Further details can be found in the following booklets:

Pensions for partners: a guide - Premium and Classic Plus (PDF, 344KB) - opens in new window

Making a Partner Nomination (PDF, 183KB) - opens in new window

Dependants pension

In addition to a spouse's, partner's or civil partner's pension, a pension may be paid to anyone who was financially dependent on a member on the day of the member's death. Also subject to qualifying conditions, the RCPS may provide pensions for dependent children. The Classic scheme pays children’s pensions until age 17 and the Classic Plus, Premium and Nuvos schemes pay children’s pensions until age 18. All RCPS schemes can extend payment of a child’s pension if the child remains in continuous full-time education, up to a maximum age of 23.

Pensions for other dependent family members (parents, brothers and sisters) may also be paid, depending on the scheme to which the member belonged.