If you were to die in service as a member of the FPS1992 scheme, a death grant would normally be payable of two times pensionable pay at date of death.
Please note if you were absent from duty without pay at the date of death, two times your pensionable before absence began is payable. For part time members, the part time rate is payable.
The authority would pay the death grant to your legal spouse or civil partner provided you were not living apart at the time of death.
Please note that if you were unmarried, not in a civil partnership, or were "living apart", the death grant would be paid to your personal representatives.
Tax rules prevent the payment of a death grant in respect of a person who has attained age 75 but it is unlikely that a firefighter would still be serving at that age. There is no death grant payable if you had already left the service, or opted out of the FPS1992, at the date of death.
Survivor Pensions
In the event of a firefighter’s death, a pension may be payable to a surviving spouse, civil partner or a dependent child providing the member has completed at least 2 years pensionable service.
Full information and eligibility can be found in the FPS 1992 scheme guide.
The guide covers areas such as:
- Widow(er)’s pension
- Surviving civil partner’s pension
- Children’s benefits
- Flat rate pension
- Survivors’ additional pension benefit
- Dependant relatives gratuity
- Bereavement pension
Allocation
Allocation is an option to give up part of your pension at retirement to provide, on your death, a pension for a spouse, civil partner, nominated partner or other dependant. It is an old provision which has carried forward to the FPS from earlier versions of the Scheme even though dependants' benefits have improved from their original levels.
An election to allocate must be given no later than the day before benefits become payable and no earlier than 2 months before. It is subject to medical evidence of good health and normal life expectancy. The amount provided as a pension on allocation depends upon the age and sex of the firefighter and of the nominee.
The fire and rescue authority's pensions administrator can give you a personalised quote before your pension becomes due if you are interested in this option.