Scottish Widows is one of the UK’s largest pension providers. Millions of workers have pension savings held with them – through auto-enrolment at work, through personal pensions, or through products taken out with Lloyds Bank, Halifax, or Bank of Scotland, all part of the same group. If you are dealing with an estate, there is a real chance the deceased held a Scottish Widows pension you did not know existed – especially if they were enrolled through an employer years ago and never actively engaged with the scheme.
This guide focuses specifically on Scottish Widows pension products: how to notify them, what happens to the pension pot, how expression of wishes nominations work, what the April 2027 inheritance tax change means, and the things most likely to cause delays. It does not cover Scottish Widows life insurance, critical illness, or investment accounts – for those, see our companion Scottish Widows bereavement guide, which covers the full product range.
Quick reference:
- Pensions bereavement line: 0345 601 4179 – Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
- Email: mailbox.estates@scottishwidows.co.uk (for sending certified death certificates)
- Online claim form: scottishwidows.co.uk bereavement form
- Pension death benefits: paid at Scottish Widows’ trustee discretion, guided by any expression of wishes form on file
Source: helpafterloss.co.uk – Scottish Widows bereavement contact details, verified May 2026.
Scottish Widows’ pension products
Scottish Widows offers several pension types. Identifying which one the deceased held is the first practical step, because each is handled differently at death.
Group Personal Pension (GPP) / workplace pension: Scottish Widows administers group pensions for a large number of UK employers, including many Lloyds Banking Group companies. Employees are enrolled by their employer – often automatically under auto-enrolment rules – and contributions are made by both employer and employee. Scottish Widows, acting as trustees, exercises discretion over who receives the death benefit, guided by any expression of wishes form the member completed.
Personal pension: An individual pension held directly with Scottish Widows, not linked to any particular employer. The deceased may have opened one independently or transferred in pensions from previous jobs. Death benefit rules are the same as for a workplace pension – Scottish Widows exercises trustee discretion, guided by the nomination on file.
Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP): A SIPP gives the holder more investment choice than a standard personal pension. Scottish Widows’ SIPP is available through their platform and through financial advisers. If the deceased died before age 75, what remains in the SIPP is normally paid tax-free to beneficiaries, who can take it as a lump sum, draw on it over time, or use it to purchase an annuity. Source: Scottish Widows – what is a SIPP?
Annuity: An annuity is not a pension pot – it is a guaranteed income product purchased with pension savings at retirement. Once the conversion is made, there is no remaining pot to inherit in the usual sense. What happens when the annuitant dies depends entirely on how the annuity was set up at the time of purchase. See the annuity section below.
If you are unsure which product the deceased held, Scottish Widows can search their records by name, date of birth, and last known address when you call.
How to notify Scottish Widows
The bereavement team is the single point of contact for all Scottish Widows pension products. You do not need to contact different departments for different product types.
By phone: Call 0345 601 4179 to reach the Scottish Widows bereavement team. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Have the deceased’s name, date of birth, and date of death ready. You do not need every document before you call – Scottish Widows will log the notification and advise on what to send next.
By email: Send certified copies of the death certificate (as a scan, photo, or PDF) to mailbox.estates@scottishwidows.co.uk. This is particularly useful when dealing with multiple organisations simultaneously.
Online: Start the process via the online bereavement claim form at Scottish Widows’ secure portal. One notification covers all Scottish Widows pension and insurance policies the deceased held, though multiple policies may be settled at different times.
By post: Write to: The Bereavement Team, PO Box 28015, 15 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh EH16 5WL. Include a certified copy of the death certificate and any policy numbers you have.
Source: helpafterloss.co.uk – Scottish Widows contact, verified May 2026.
What to have ready when you contact them
| Information | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Deceased’s full name, date of birth, last address | Standard identification for all claims |
| Date of death | Starts the formal claim process and the two-year tax clock |
| National Insurance number | Required to locate pension records |
| Pension policy or membership number | From annual statements; Scottish Widows can search by name if unavailable |
| Your name, relationship to the deceased, and contact details | Scottish Widows will correspond with you throughout |
| Expression of wishes or nomination form | Guides trustees on who should receive the death benefit |
What documents you will need
| Document | Required / optional | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | Required for all claims | A scan, photo, or PDF can be emailed to mailbox.estates@scottishwidows.co.uk; certified copy required for postal claims |
| Pension policy or membership number | Helpful but not essential | Found on annual pension statements or any welcome letters; Scottish Widows can search by name and NI number if unavailable |
| Deceased's National Insurance number | Required for pension claims | On P60s, payslips, or any HMRC correspondence |
| Expression of wishes or nomination form | Not legally required, but very important | If the deceased completed one, locate it and tell Scottish Widows – it significantly speeds up the process and reduces uncertainty |
| Marriage or civil partnership certificate | If claiming as surviving spouse or civil partner | Needed for dependant beneficiary claims and joint-life annuity continuations |
| Your identity documents and proof of relationship | Required | Scottish Widows will confirm exactly what is needed when you make contact |
| Grant of probate or letters of administration | Only if pension is directed to the estate | Most Scottish Widows pension death benefits bypass the estate entirely – probate is usually not required |
| Your bank account details | Required for payment | Needed before any payment can be made to you |
Order several certified copies of the death certificate when you register the death. Each financial institution needs its own copy, and you will be dealing with multiple organisations at once. Four to six copies is a reasonable starting point for most estates. In England and Wales, copies cost £11 each from the register office. In Scotland, copies cost £8.
Source: gov.uk – order a death certificate.
Expression of wishes nominations
For defined contribution pensions – workplace pensions, personal pensions, and SIPPs – the single most important document is the expression of wishes form, sometimes called a nomination form or beneficiary nomination.
This form tells Scottish Widows who the deceased wanted to receive the pension death benefit. It is not legally binding. Scottish Widows, acting as trustees, retains discretionary power to decide who receives the death benefit – but in practice, trustees almost always follow the nomination where there is a named beneficiary and no competing claims or changed circumstances.
The discretionary structure is precisely what keeps pension death benefits outside the deceased’s estate for probate purposes – and, for deaths before 6 April 2027, outside inheritance tax. See our guide to do I need probate? for more on how pension assets are treated differently from estate assets.
Source: Scottish Widows platform – expression of wishes guidance.
If no nomination form was completed, Scottish Widows will review the circumstances – the deceased’s family situation, any dependants, any correspondence or will that indicates intent – and decide on the distribution. This takes longer and the outcome is less certain than where there is a clear, up-to-date nomination. Before assuming no nomination exists, check with any financial adviser the deceased used, with a former employer’s HR team, or among any pension paperwork at home.
Why expression of wishes remains relevant after April 2027: The Finance Act 2026 (Royal Assent 18 March 2026) confirmed that most unused pension funds will be included in estates for inheritance tax from 6 April 2027. This changes the IHT position, but it does not change how pension death benefits are distributed – Scottish Widows’ trustees still decide who receives the money, guided by the nomination form. Keeping the nomination up to date, and naming the right beneficiaries for the overall tax position of the estate, remains important even after the IHT rules change.
Source: gov.uk – inheritance tax on unused pension funds and death benefits.
What happens to the pension pot
Lump sum, drawdown, or annuity
When someone with a Scottish Widows defined contribution pension dies, the remaining pot passes to the beneficiaries that Scottish Widows selects, guided by the expression of wishes nomination. Beneficiaries can typically choose how to receive the money:
Lump sum: A single payment made directly to the nominated beneficiary. Straightforward and common where the beneficiary needs the money promptly.
Drawdown: The beneficiary inherits the pension as a drawdown fund and draws on it over time, keeping the remaining balance invested. This preserves the pension’s tax-advantaged status for longer and is available to direct beneficiaries – typically a spouse, civil partner, or financially dependent child.
Annuity: The beneficiary uses the pension pot to purchase their own guaranteed income for life.
This money does not go through probate. Because Scottish Widows exercises discretionary control over who receives pension death benefits, the pot sits outside the estate. Scottish Widows pays the beneficiary directly, without requiring a grant of probate. For a broader explanation of how this works, see our guide to what happens to a pension when someone dies.
Tax treatment
The age of the deceased at death determines the tax treatment:
Died before age 75: Beneficiaries can generally receive the pension pot tax-free – as a lump sum or as drawdown income. This applies up to the lump sum and death benefit allowance (currently £1,073,100 under HMRC rules). Any amount above this allowance is subject to income tax at the beneficiary’s marginal rate. There is also a critical timing rule: if Scottish Widows is not notified within two years of the date of death, any lump sum payment becomes subject to income tax regardless of the deceased’s age. The two-year clock runs from when Scottish Widows is notified – not from the date of death itself.
Died at age 75 or over: All pension death benefits are taxed as income at the beneficiary’s marginal rate, whether taken as a lump sum or as drawdown income. There is no tax-free treatment for deaths at or after age 75.
Source: gov.uk – tax on a private pension you inherit, verified May 2026.
The April 2027 pension IHT change
Until 5 April 2027, most pension pots sit outside the estate for inheritance tax purposes. This has made pensions one of the most tax-efficient ways to pass on wealth, particularly for larger estates. Scottish Widows pension death benefits paid to beneficiaries under current rules are generally not subject to inheritance tax.
From 6 April 2027, the Finance Act 2026 brings unused pension funds and most defined contribution death benefits into scope for inheritance tax. The practical effect: estates that include a pension pot held at death may pay more inheritance tax than estates dealt with before that date.
The government’s impact assessment estimated that around 38,500 estates per year will pay increased IHT as a result of this change, with an average additional liability of approximately £34,000 per affected estate. Death in service benefits from registered pension schemes are excluded from the change, as are dependant’s scheme pensions from defined benefit arrangements and benefits passing to a spouse, civil partner, or registered charity.
For deaths before 6 April 2027 – including anyone dying now: the current rules apply. The pension pot sits outside the estate for IHT, and Scottish Widows pays death benefits to nominated beneficiaries without IHT applying to the pension itself. Income tax treatment based on age at death still applies.
For deaths on or after 6 April 2027: the pension’s value will be included in the estate’s value for IHT calculations. Personal representatives will take on responsibility for reporting and paying any resulting tax. Estates at or above the nil-rate band (currently £325,000, or £500,000 with the residence nil-rate band) should take professional advice before that date.
The expression of wishes form remains relevant after April 2027 – it continues to direct who receives the pension fund, and naming the surviving spouse as beneficiary may reduce the IHT liability through the spousal exemption.
Source: gov.uk – reforming IHT: unused pension funds and death benefits. For broader context, see our guide to what happens to a pension when someone dies.
Annuity death benefits
An annuity is fundamentally different from a pension pot. When someone buys an annuity at retirement – exchanging their pension savings for a guaranteed income for life – there is no remaining pot to inherit when they die. What does or does not continue depends entirely on how the annuity was set up at the time of purchase.
The three main options a Scottish Widows annuity holder may have chosen are:
Single life, no guarantee: Payments stop on the annuitant’s death. Nothing passes to any beneficiary.
Joint life annuity: A reduced income continues to a named partner for the rest of their life after the annuitant dies. The surviving partner needs to contact Scottish Widows to redirect payments – Scottish Widows will not automatically know to continue paying without being told who the surviving partner is and where to pay them.
Guarantee period: Scottish Widows continues making payments for a fixed number of years (chosen at the time of purchase) even if the annuitant dies within that period. If the annuitant died within the guarantee period, the remaining payments continue to the estate or named beneficiary.
Contact Scottish Widows promptly about an annuity death. Any payments made into the deceased’s bank account after the date of death will need to be repaid. The executor or administrator of the estate is responsible for returning any overpayments.
How long does it take?
Scottish Widows does not publish fixed processing timelines, because the time taken depends on what documents are available, how quickly they arrive, and the complexity of the claim.
| Pension type | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Workplace pension – clear nomination on file | Several weeks from receipt of death certificate |
| Workplace pension – no nomination on file | Longer – trustees must investigate circumstances and make enquiries |
| Personal pension / SIPP – clear nomination | Similar to workplace pension; faster with complete documentation |
| Personal pension / SIPP – no nomination | Several weeks to months, depending on complexity |
| Annuity – single life | Payments stop; no further claim unless a guarantee period applies |
| Annuity – joint life or guarantee period | Scottish Widows will confirm continuing payments or remaining benefit |
Source: Scottish Widows bereavement team information, verified May 2026.
The most consistent cause of delay is missing or incomplete documentation. Providing the death certificate, pension policy number, and any expression of wishes form as early as possible keeps things moving.
Tips and common pitfalls
The deceased may not have known they had a Scottish Widows pension. Auto-enrolment means many workers were placed into a Scottish Widows workplace scheme by their employer without actively choosing it. The employer selected Scottish Widows; the employee may have engaged very little beyond opting in. Check old payslips, annual pension statements (often sent by post to the last known address), and email inboxes for any Scottish Widows correspondence.
Lloyds Banking Group connection matters. Scottish Widows is part of Lloyds Banking Group. The deceased may have held multiple Scottish Widows products alongside accounts at Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Clerical Medical, or St Andrew’s Life. If you notify Lloyds or Halifax through the Death Notification Service, that notification covers the main banking group – but Scottish Widows pensions and insurance products typically still need a separate direct notification. Confirm which group entities have been covered when you speak to Scottish Widows.
Scottish Widows may hold several pension pots from different employers. If the deceased worked for multiple Lloyds Banking Group companies over their career – or if their various employers all happened to use Scottish Widows as their workplace pension provider – Scottish Widows may hold more than one separate pension for them. Each plan may settle separately and at different times, even from the same call. Ask Scottish Widows to check for all pensions in the deceased’s name.
An outdated nomination form causes uncertainty. If the deceased completed a nomination decades ago – before a divorce, remarriage, or the birth of children – the trustees will see an instruction that no longer reflects likely current wishes. Scottish Widows will still exercise discretion, but the process takes longer and the outcome is less certain. If you find a nomination form that looks out of date, tell Scottish Widows and provide any more recent evidence of intent.
The two-year window runs from notification, not from death. For deaths under age 75, the tax-free treatment of lump sum death benefits depends on Scottish Widows being notified within two years of the date of death. Do not wait until other aspects of the estate are resolved before calling.
You do not need everything before you call. Scottish Widows can log the notification and explain next steps with basic details alone. Documents can follow. There is no reason to wait.
If you cannot find pension paperwork, use the government’s free Pension Tracing Service – available at gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details – to search by employer name. If the deceased worked for a company that used Scottish Widows for auto-enrolment, this will surface the contact details.
Summary
Scottish Widows pension death benefits are paid at the trustees’ discretion, guided by any expression of wishes form on file. The pension pot bypasses probate and – for deaths before 6 April 2027 – sits outside the estate for inheritance tax.
Contact details (verified May 2026):
| Contact route | Details |
|---|---|
| Main bereavement line (pensions) | 0345 601 4179 – Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm |
| Email (death certificates) | mailbox.estates@scottishwidows.co.uk |
| Online claim form | scottishwidows.co.uk bereavement form |
| Postal address | The Bereavement Team, PO Box 28015, 15 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh EH16 5WL |
Immediate actions:
- Identify which Scottish Widows pension product(s) the deceased held – workplace GPP, personal pension, SIPP, or annuity
- Order several certified copies of the death certificate from the register office
- Locate any expression of wishes or nomination form – check with any financial adviser the deceased used, with a former employer’s HR team, or among personal papers
- Call 0345 601 4179 as soon as possible – the two-year clock for tax-free treatment (for deaths under 75) starts from when Scottish Widows is notified
- Do not wait for probate – pension death benefits are paid outside the estate at Scottish Widows’ discretion
- If you are unsure whether a pension exists, give Scottish Widows the deceased’s name, date of birth, and National Insurance number – they will search their records
For general Scottish Widows products including life insurance, critical illness, and investments, see our Scottish Widows bereavement guide.
If you are uncertain whether the deceased held pension accounts with other providers, the Pension Tracing Service is the right starting point. For the state pension entitlements of a surviving spouse or civil partner, see our guide to what happens to the state pension when someone dies. For sister guides covering other major pension providers, see how to claim a Legal & General pension and how to claim an Aviva pension.