The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is one of the largest pension schemes in the UK, covering around 5.7 million active, deferred, and pensioner members working in local government, schools, further education, police support, and a wide range of other public bodies. If someone in your family was an LGPS member, the death benefits – a lump sum death grant and an ongoing survivor’s pension – can be significant.
There is one critical difference from schemes like the NHS Pension: the LGPS has no single national helpline. It is administered by 86 local pension funds across England, Wales, and Scotland, each run by a separate administering authority. Your first task is to identify which fund the deceased belonged to and contact them directly.
This guide explains what benefits are available, how to find the right fund, what to expect from the claims process, and the upcoming changes to how pension death grants are treated for inheritance tax from April 2027.
Quick reference:
- Find your fund: lgpsmember.org/contact-your-fund – search by region, then select the specific fund
- Tell Us Once: if you use Tell Us Once when registering the death, some councils are included – but check with your fund whether this covers the pension, and always follow up to claim benefits actively
- What to have ready: the deceased’s National Insurance number, their employer’s name and location, the approximate dates they were in the scheme
What benefits are available
The LGPS provides three main categories of death benefit, and what is payable depends on whether the deceased was an active member (still working and contributing), a deferred member (had left the scheme but not yet drawn their pension), or a pensioner member (already receiving their LGPS pension).
Death grant (lump sum): a one-off payment, tax-free in most cases, paid directly to nominated beneficiaries without going through the estate. The amount varies significantly by membership status – see the section below.
Survivor’s pension: an ongoing income for a surviving spouse, civil partner, or qualifying cohabiting partner, paid for the rest of their life and indexed annually to inflation. Unlike the lump sum, this is taxable as income.
Children’s pension: a regular pension for dependent children under 18 (or under 23 if in full-time education, or permanently disabled). The rate depends on how many children there are and whether a survivor’s pension is also being paid.
All three benefits can be in payment at the same time. None of them require probate – the fund pays them directly to the beneficiaries, independently of the estate.
How to find your administering authority
This step is essential because without it, you cannot make a claim.
The LGPS is split into 86 local pension funds. Each fund is run by an administering authority – typically the county council or metropolitan borough council for that area. The deceased will have belonged to the fund covering the area where they worked (not necessarily where they lived).
To find the right fund: go to lgpsmember.org/contact-your-fund and select the region first (North, Midlands, Wales, South East, London, South West, or Scotland), then pick the specific fund from the dropdown. Each fund’s contact page will give you a phone number, email address, and postal address.
If you are unsure which area or employer is relevant – for example if the deceased had several local government jobs over their career – start with the most recent employer. If there were earlier periods of LGPS membership at a different authority, those benefits may have transferred into the current fund or remain held separately; the current fund should be able to tell you.
If you cannot identify the employer or fund at all, the Pension Tracing Service at gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details lets you search by employer name and will return contact details for the relevant scheme.
Once you have contacted the fund, they will send you the relevant claim forms and tell you exactly what documents they need. There is no single national claim form – each fund administers its own process within the same regulatory framework.
What happens to the death grant
The death grant is a one-off lump sum payable when a member dies. The amount depends on membership status.
| Membership status | Death grant |
|---|---|
| Active member (still contributing) | 3× assumed pensionable pay at date of death |
| Deferred member (left after 1 April 2008, not yet drawing pension) | 5× annual deferred pension |
| Deferred member (left before 1 April 2008) | 3× annual deferred pension |
| Pensioner (stopped contributing after 1 April 2008) | 10× annual pension, less any pension already paid |
| Pensioner (stopped contributing between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 2008) | 5× annual pension, less any pension already paid |
Source: lgpsmember.org – what death grant is paid if I die when still paying into the LGPS? and lgpsmember.org – what death grant is paid if I am receiving my pension?. Last verified: 13 May 2026.
For active members, the 3× calculation uses assumed pensionable pay – broadly, full-time equivalent pay at the date of death. If the member had been working reduced hours due to illness, the calculation uses what they would have earned at full hours. If they also held a deferred LGPS benefit from an earlier period of employment, the fund will pay whichever is higher: the active member grant, or the combined value of the active and deferred grants.
The nomination form – “Expression of Wish”
The death grant sits outside the estate. Like most occupational pension death benefits, it is paid at the discretion of the administering authority rather than under the will. This means it bypasses probate and, under current rules, inheritance tax (though see the April 2027 changes below).
In practice, the fund follows the member’s Expression of Wish form – sometimes called the “Expression of Wish for Death Grant” or similar. This form, which the member should have completed when joining or after any change in personal circumstances, nominates who should receive the grant and in what proportions. It is advisory, not legally binding, but it will be followed in the vast majority of cases.
The administering authority can normally pay the grant directly to the nominated person without waiting for probate. If the nominee has died, if the charity named is defunct, or if personal circumstances have changed materially since the form was completed, the fund will use its discretion.
If no nomination exists, the fund will still make a decision, usually in favour of an obvious dependant such as the surviving spouse or civil partner. However, the process takes longer, and in some cases the grant may be paid into the estate – at which point it falls under probate and may become subject to inheritance tax.
If you are unsure whether a nomination form was completed, ask the fund directly when you contact them. They hold all historical records.
The survivor’s pension
A survivor’s pension is an ongoing income, paid for the rest of the recipient’s life, indexed each year in line with inflation. It is taxable as income in the normal way.
Rate of survivor’s pension
For pension built up after 1 April 2014 (career average membership), the survivor’s pension is calculated at 1/160th of the deceased’s pensionable pay for each year of membership in the post-2014 career average scheme.
For pension built up before 1 April 2014 (final salary membership), the same 1/160th rate applies but using final pay × membership years for that earlier period.
In practice, the fund calculates the full survivor’s pension from both periods of membership and pays a single combined figure.
Source: Buckinghamshire Pension Fund – partner and children’s pensions. Last verified: 13 May 2026.
Who is eligible
- Spouse or civil partner: eligible automatically.
- Cohabiting partner: eligible if the member joined the scheme on or after 1 April 2008, and the couple can demonstrate a continuous two-year qualifying period before the date of death during which they: were legally free to marry or form a civil partnership; lived together as if married or in a civil partnership; were financially interdependent or one was dependent on the other; and were not in any other similar relationship. Evidence such as joint bank statements, utility bills, a joint tenancy agreement, or mortgage documents will be needed.
The government updated LGPS regulations in April 2026 to equalise survivor pension calculations regardless of sex or sexual orientation, and to formalise the recognition of cohabiting partners without requiring a separate nomination form. Administering authorities are also required to identify and contact bereaved cohabiting partners who may have missed out on benefits in earlier years, with backdated payments due by January 2028.
Source: gov.uk – LGPS survivor benefits guidance. Last verified: 13 May 2026.
Children’s pension
Children’s pensions are payable to dependent children under 18 (or under 23 in full-time education, or of any age if permanently disabled before age 18). The rate depends on the number of children and whether a survivor’s pension is also in payment:
| Circumstances | One child | Two or more children |
|---|---|---|
| Survivor’s pension also in payment | 1/320th per year of service | 1/160th per year of service (shared equally) |
| No survivor’s pension | 1/240th per year of service | 1/120th per year of service (shared equally) |
Source: Buckinghamshire Pension Fund – partner and children’s pensions and LGPS Regulations 2013, lgpsregs.org. Last verified: 13 May 2026.
What documents you’ll need
Each fund has its own claim process, so treat this list as a starting point. The fund will send you a personalised checklist once you make initial contact.
| Document | When needed |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | Always |
| Deceased’s National Insurance number | Always – speeds up locating the records |
| Marriage or civil partnership certificate | If claiming as a spouse or civil partner |
| Evidence of cohabitation and financial interdependency | If claiming as an unmarried partner |
| Birth certificates for dependent children | If claiming a children’s pension |
| Bank account details (sort code, account number) | For whoever will receive payment |
| Any LGPS correspondence, membership number, or payslips | Helpful but not always required |
Certified copies of documents are accepted alongside originals. A registrar will provide several certified copies of the death certificate at the time of registration for a small fee – it is worth ordering extras at that point to avoid delays later.
How long it takes
Once the fund has all required documents, a realistic timeline is 6 to 12 weeks for the initial lump sum payment and the first survivor’s pension payment. Complex cases – disputed nominations, cohabiting partner claims that require evidence review, members with multiple periods of LGPS membership at different funds – can take longer.
The pension fund will backdate survivor’s pension payments to the day after the date of death, so any delay in the claims process does not permanently reduce what you receive.
The most common cause of delays is incomplete documentation: an unreadable date of birth on a marriage certificate, a name discrepancy between documents, or uncertainty about which fund holds the relevant membership. Having the deceased’s NI number and most recent employer details to hand when you first call makes a significant difference.
There is no statutory two-year deadline for LGPS death grants in the same way there is for some other pension schemes. That said, it is always better to notify the fund promptly.
The April 2027 pension IHT change
From 6 April 2027, most pension death benefits will be brought into the estate for inheritance tax purposes. This is a significant change for many families, but the picture for LGPS members is more nuanced than for personal or defined contribution pensions.
Death-in-service lump sums (active members): Following consultation, the government confirmed in 2025 that death-in-service benefits – those paid specifically because the member was actively employed and contributing at the time of death – will be excluded from the new IHT rules. The 3× pensionable pay death grant for an active LGPS member should remain outside the estate and free of inheritance tax after April 2027.
Death grants for deferred and pensioner members: These lump sums are not classified as death-in-service benefits and will fall within the new IHT framework. For example, the 10-year guarantee lump sum payable when a pensioner dies within 10 years of drawing their pension is expected to be in scope. The personal representatives (executor or administrator of the estate) will become responsible for reporting and paying any IHT due on these payments.
Survivor’s pensions: The regular income paid to a surviving spouse, civil partner, or eligible cohabiting partner is not affected by the IHT change. Survivor’s pensions from a defined benefit scheme are excluded from the new rules, as is any payment to a surviving spouse (which already benefits from the spousal IHT exemption).
The detailed secondary legislation is still being finalised. If the estate involves a large deferred or pensioner death grant, it is worth taking specific advice from a financial adviser or solicitor who understands the final regulations once they are in place.
Source: Royal London – IHT on pension death benefits from April 2027 and HMRC – inheritance tax on unused pension funds and death benefits. Last verified: 13 May 2026.
Things to watch out for
A few points that come up regularly with LGPS bereavements and are easy to miss:
The 10-year guarantee is only relevant for deaths within 10 years of retirement. If the pensioner drew their pension for more than 10 years before dying, no lump sum death grant is payable. This is not obvious from annual pension statements and catches families out occasionally.
The Expression of Wish form overrides the will for the lump sum. If the member nominated an adult child in their Expression of Wish form and never updated it after a divorce and remarriage, the lump sum will go to that child, not the current spouse. The fund will tell you who was nominated – always ask.
Deferred members have different entitlements. If the deceased left local government employment years ago but never drew their LGPS pension, they are a deferred member and death benefits still apply. The fund needs to know the approximate dates of membership and the name of the employing organisation.
Active and deferred benefits from different funds. Some people had LGPS membership at two or more different local authorities during their career. Those periods may be held by separate funds. It is worth checking with the most recent fund whether any earlier membership was transferred in or whether a separate older fund needs to be contacted.
Cohabiting partner claims require evidence. Unlike married partners or civil partners, a cohabiting partner must demonstrate the qualifying conditions. Gather joint financial documents before contacting the fund – it will speed up the process considerably.
AVCs (Additional Voluntary Contributions) held with the LGPS are paid under a separate discretionary arrangement. For AVCs taken out on or after 1 April 2014, the fund will decide who receives the AVC pot on death. If the member held AVCs with an external provider such as Prudential or Standard Life through the LGPS AVC arrangement, those will need to be notified separately.
Summary
If an LGPS member has died:
- Find the right fund at lgpsmember.org/contact-your-fund using the region and employer location. This is the essential first step – there is no national number.
- Contact the fund directly. Give them the deceased’s NI number, date of death, and last employer. They will confirm what benefits are payable and send claim forms.
- Ask about the Expression of Wish form. Find out whether a nomination exists for the death grant, and who is nominated.
- Gather documents early. Death certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable), and for cohabiting partners, evidence of the qualifying relationship.
- Claim actively. Neither the death grant nor the survivor’s pension is paid automatically – you need to submit a claim.
- Check for multiple LGPS records. If the deceased worked for more than one local authority, there may be more than one fund involved.
For general guidance on dealing with pensions after a bereavement, see our guide to what happens to a pension when someone dies. If the deceased was an NHS worker, see our companion guide on how to notify NHS Pensions. For teachers and lecturers, see how to notify the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. For former members of the Armed Forces, see how to claim Armed Forces Pension benefits when someone dies. For civil servants, see how to claim a Civil Service pension after a bereavement. For police officers, see how to claim a Police Pension after a bereavement.
For the wider estate process, including whether probate is needed and how inheritance tax is calculated, see our probate hub and inheritance tax guides.