State Pension provides essential financial support every month for around 12.4 million people across the UK and for many it is their only source of income during their retirement years.
This regular weekly payment is delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and is available for those who have paid enough National Insurance Contributions and have reached the UK Government’s eligible retirement age, which is 66 for both men and women.
People eligible for the full, new State Pension currently receive £179.60 per week while anyone on the 'old' basic State Pension (category A or B), is paid £137.60 per week.
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But what happens to State Pension payments if you, your spouse, or partner dies?
What happens to your State Pension when you die?
A State Pension won't just end when someone dies, you need to do something about it.
When the person dies, you must inform the Pension Service so that payments stop - You can ring the Pension Service helpline on 0800 731 0469.
You may be entitled to extra payments from your deceased spouse's or civil partner's State Pension, reports the Daily Record.
However, this depends on their National Insurance Contributions, and the date they reached the State Pension age.
If you haven't reached State Pension age, you might also be eligible for Bereavement benefits.
Inheritance: Basic State Pension
Should a spouse or civil partner have reached State Pension age before April 6, 2016, then GOV.UK instructs people to contact the Pension Service once someone dies in order to check what they can claim.
It may be that they can increase their basic State Pension by using the deceased’s qualifying years if they do not already get the full amount.
Should they have reached State Pension age on or after April 6, 2016, or be under State Pension age when their spouse or civil partner dies, the “Your partner’s National Insurance record and your State Pension” tool on the UK Government website can enable a person to check what inheritance they may be entitled to.
For people who are single or divorced, or who have had their civil partnership dissolved, it may be that their estate can claim some of a basic State Pension.
This is if that person dies after reaching State Pension age, and only if the State Pension had not been claimed. In this circumstance, the estate can claim up to three months of the basic State Pension.
Extra money from deferring State Pension
Some people may opt to defer their State Pension in order to build up an extra amount.
In this situation, the spouse or civil partner may either claim the extra State Pension or get a lump sum.
State Pension top-up
Should anyone have topped up their State Pension (between October 12, 2015 and April 5, 2017), the spouse or civil partner may be able to inherit some or all of the top up, gov.uk states.
Inheriting extra State Pension or a lump sum
A person may inherit part of all of their partner’s extra State Pension or lump sum if:
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They died while they were deferring their State Pension or had started claiming it after deferring
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They reached State pension age before April 6, 2016
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They were married or in the civil partnership when they died.
