Who can benefit from a member's pension fund?

The Trustee/Scheme Administrator has absolute discretion when deciding to whom to pay death benefits. However, the member should have completed and lodged with the Trustee/Scheme Administrator a nomination form, indicating whom the member would like the Trustee/Scheme Administrator to consider as beneficiaries.

The nomination form is not binding on the Trustee/Scheme Administrator but they will take account of it as part of their procedures for choosing the beneficiaries.

The member should ensure that the nomination form lodged with the Trustee/ Scheme Administrator is always up-to-date with details of those they wish to be beneficiaries.

The range of potential beneficiaries includes the following:

• the member’s spouse or civil partner, other dependants, children, grandchildren etc. 
• any individual included in the member’s nomination form 
• any individuals entitled under the member’s will to any interest in the estate 
• any persons the member knew before their death who the
• Trustee/Scheme Administrator in its absolute discretion decides the member would have wished to provide for after their death 
  entities such as a trust or a charity 
• the member’s legal personal representatives.

The following are a member’s dependant:

• the member’s spouse or civil partner at the date of the member’s death or at the date the member first became entitled to benefits under the pension scheme 
• a child or adopted child of the member under the age of 23 when the member died 
• a child or adopted child of the member aged 23 or over who, in the opinion of the Scheme Administrator, was dependent on the member because of physical or mental impairment when the member died 
• any other individual who, in the opinion of the Scheme Administrator, was financially dependent on, or interdependent with, the member when the member died, or was dependent on the member because of physical or mental impairment when the member died.

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