When someone dies, their State Pension stops on the date of death. There is no pot to pass on – the State Pension is a government entitlement tied to the individual, not a savings fund. But the picture is more involved than that one sentence suggests. A surviving spouse or civil partner may be able to inherit part of the deceased’s Additional State Pension, a protected payment, or a deferred pension lump sum. Payments already in transit at the time of death will need to be returned to DWP. And there is a separate bereavement benefit, Bereavement Support Payment, that may apply.
This guide walks through what happens to State Pension payments after a death, how to notify the Pension Service and DWP, what a surviving partner may be entitled to, and the practical traps to watch out for. It is written for spouses, civil partners, executors, and anyone dealing with the State Pension after a UK bereavement.
Quick reference:
- DWP Bereavement Service: 0800 151 2012 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm) – this is the central number for reporting a death and stopping State Pension payments
- The Pension Service (inherited entitlement enquiries): 0800 731 0469 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
- Welsh language line: 0800 731 0453
- Tell Us Once: stops the State Pension automatically when you register the death – see Tell Us Once for how it works
- What to have ready: the deceased’s National Insurance number, date of birth, date of death, and your own NI number if you are asking about inherited entitlement
- Bereavement Support Payment: a separate, tax-free benefit worth up to £9,800 – see Bereavement Support Payment
How to report a death to the Pension Service
The fastest route is Tell Us Once, the government notification service offered when you register the death. Most people will not need to call the Pension Service directly.
Through Tell Us Once
When you register the death at the register office, the registrar will offer the Tell Us Once service. They will either complete it with you on the spot or give you a unique reference number to use online or by phone within 28 days. Tell Us Once contacts DWP automatically, which stops the State Pension and a wide range of other benefits. You do not need to call the Pension Service separately for the cancellation itself.
Tell Us Once is available for deaths registered in England, Scotland, and Wales. It is not available in Northern Ireland (where you would contact the Bereavement Service for Northern Ireland) or for deaths abroad that have not been registered with a UK register office.
Calling the DWP Bereavement Service directly
If you cannot use Tell Us Once – the death happened abroad, you have passed the 28-day window, or the deceased was not registered through a UK register office – call the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012. The line is free from landlines and mobiles, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. A Welsh language line is available on 0800 731 0453, and Relay UK users can dial 18001 then 0800 151 2012.
When you call, have to hand:
- The deceased’s National Insurance number
- The deceased’s date of birth and date of death
- Your relationship to them
- Your own contact details
The Bereavement Service will stop the State Pension and any other DWP benefits the deceased was receiving. They will also do a check on what survivor benefits you might be entitled to – Bereavement Support Payment, Pension Credit, and any inherited State Pension entitlement.
(Source: gov.uk – what to do after a death, reporting without Tell Us Once. Last verified: 13 May 2026.)
Asking about inherited entitlement separately
Tell Us Once stops payments but does not check what you may be entitled to inherit. For that, contact The Pension Service on 0800 731 0469 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm), or ask the Bereavement Service to refer your case. You will need your own National Insurance number as well as the deceased’s. See the section on inherited entitlement below for what to ask about.
What happens to State Pension payments
The State Pension stops on the date of death. It is paid in arrears (four-weekly, for most people), which means a payment that arrived in the bank account shortly before the death will usually have been for a period that has now ended. A payment that arrives after the death may cover a period that includes days the person was no longer alive – that part is an overpayment.
Overpayments
It is normal for one or two payments to land in the deceased’s account after the death, simply because of the time it takes for DWP to stop the payment cycle. These are overpayments and must be returned to DWP. You do not need to take any immediate action – wait for DWP to write to the estate with the exact figure and instructions on how to repay. Keep a record of any payments received after the death so the figures can be cross-checked.
DWP will usually contact the executor or administrator within four to eight weeks of being notified. The letter will explain how much is owed and how to pay it. Repayment is normally a single transfer from the estate bank account.
Do not distribute the estate until you know what DWP is reclaiming. If you pay out to beneficiaries before settling the overpayment, you – as executor or administrator – may become personally liable for the amount.
(Source: gov.uk – benefit overpayments: repayments when someone has died. Last verified: 13 May 2026.)
Joint payments and married couples
There are no joint State Pensions. Each person receives the pension based on their own National Insurance record (under the new State Pension) or, for older couples, the deceased’s contributions may have been used to top up a spouse’s basic pension under the old system. When one half of a couple dies, the survivor’s own State Pension continues, and the deceased’s stops. Whether the survivor receives anything extra depends on the inheritance rules in the next section.
If both partners had their State Pensions paid into a joint bank account, the bank will close that arrangement when the account is converted to a sole account. The survivor should make sure DWP has updated bank details on file for their own continuing pension – usually handled automatically through Tell Us Once, but worth confirming.
Can a surviving spouse inherit State Pension?
This is the question that catches families out. The answer depends on when the deceased reached State Pension age – not when they died.
If the deceased reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016
These people were on the old basic State Pension system. A surviving spouse or civil partner may be able to:
- Top up their own basic State Pension using the deceased’s qualifying National Insurance years, up to the full basic State Pension rate, if they do not already receive the full amount
- Inherit part of the deceased’s Additional State Pension (also known as SERPS or State Second Pension)
- Inherit a deferred State Pension – either as an enhanced weekly pension or as a one-off lump sum, depending on how long the deceased had deferred for
- Inherit half of any Graduated Retirement Benefit (a small earnings-related top-up that existed between 1961 and 1975)
The amount inherited from Additional State Pension depends on the deceased’s date of birth. The maximum was reduced in stages from 2002 onwards:
| Deceased's date of birth (man) | Maximum SERPS that can be inherited |
|---|---|
| 5 October 1937 or earlier | 100% |
| 6 October 1937 – 5 October 1939 | 90% |
| 6 October 1939 – 5 October 1941 | 80% |
| 6 October 1941 – 5 October 1943 | 70% |
| 6 October 1943 – 5 October 1945 | 60% |
| 6 October 1945 or later | 50% |
For women, the equivalent date bands are offset by five years (reflecting the historic difference in State Pension age). For State Second Pension (which replaced SERPS from April 2002), the maximum inheritance is 50% regardless of date of birth.
(Source: gov.uk – Additional State Pension: inheriting and gov.uk – basic State Pension: inheriting from your spouse or civil partner. Last verified: 13 May 2026.)
If the deceased reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016
These people were on the new State Pension, which is based on each person’s own National Insurance record. Inheritance is far more limited. The main entitlements are:
- Half of any “protected payment” the deceased was receiving. A protected payment is an extra amount above the full new State Pension that arises when the deceased had built up more under the old rules than the new rules would allow. Not everyone has one.
- An extra payment from a deferred new State Pension, if the deceased had deferred claiming it. Lump sum inheritance is not available under the new system – only extra weekly pension.
- Inherited Additional State Pension (from the old system) may still be in payment if the deceased had reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 but a marriage or civil partnership began before that date – this is rare in practice for new-system pensioners but worth asking about.
To inherit anything under the new system, the marriage or civil partnership must have started before 6 April 2016.
(Source: gov.uk – the new State Pension: inheriting or increasing State Pension from a spouse or civil partner. Last verified: 13 May 2026.)
The remarriage rule
You cannot inherit anything from a deceased spouse or civil partner’s State Pension if you remarry or form a new civil partnership before you reach State Pension age. Inheritance can continue if you remarry after reaching State Pension age. This rule applies to both the old and the new systems.
Cohabiting partners
Cohabiting partners (people living together but not married and not in a civil partnership) cannot inherit State Pension. The rules apply only to legal spouses and civil partners. This is one of the sharpest practical differences between State Pension inheritance and most workplace pension schemes, where unmarried partners can often be nominated.
For Bereavement Support Payment, the rules are wider – since February 2023, some cohabiting partners with children may be eligible. See our Bereavement Support Payment guide for the detail.
How to check what you’re entitled to
The Pension Service will not always volunteer this information – you need to ask. Call 0800 731 0469 with the deceased’s National Insurance number and your own. Ask specifically:
- Whether the deceased had any Additional State Pension that you can inherit, and at what percentage
- Whether they had a protected payment (under the new system)
- Whether they had any deferred State Pension you can claim
- Whether they had any State Pension top-up (the small voluntary top-up paid for between October 2015 and April 2017)
If the deceased had taken the State Pension top-up under the Class 3A scheme (open between October 2015 and April 2017), this can also be partly inherited – usually 50% – by a surviving spouse or civil partner. (Source: gov.uk – Class 3A National Insurance and State Pension top up. Last verified: 13 May 2026.)
Deferred State Pension – lump sum or extra pension
If the deceased had deferred claiming their State Pension (started receiving it later than their State Pension age), the rules for what a surviving spouse or civil partner can claim depend on which system the deceased was on:
- Old basic State Pension (reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016): if the deceased deferred for 12 months or more, the survivor may be able to claim either an enhanced weekly pension or a one-off lump sum, plus interest. If the deceased deferred for less than 12 months, only the enhanced weekly option is available – no lump sum.
- New State Pension (reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016): only the enhanced weekly pension is inheritable. The lump sum option does not exist under the new system.
Inheriting a deferred lump sum is one of the more valuable rights a surviving spouse may have if the deceased had deferred a substantial period – the figure can run to tens of thousands of pounds. The Pension Service will work this out when you contact them.
(Source: gov.uk – basic State Pension: inheriting from your spouse or civil partner. Last verified: 13 May 2026.)
Bereavement benefits linked to National Insurance
Separately from State Pension inheritance, the deceased’s National Insurance contributions may unlock a tax-free bereavement benefit for the surviving partner.
Bereavement Support Payment is the main scheme. It pays a one-off lump sum followed by 18 monthly instalments. There are two rates:
| Rate | Initial lump sum | Monthly payments | Total over 18 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher rate (with child or pregnant) | £3,500 | £350 × 18 | Up to £9,800 |
| Lower rate (no child) | £2,500 | £100 × 18 | Up to £4,300 |
The deceased must have paid National Insurance contributions for at least 25 weeks of their working life, or have died as a result of an industrial accident or disease. The surviving partner must be under State Pension age. Claim within three months of the death to receive the full amount; you can claim up to 21 months after but will lose monthly payments along the way.
Note that Bereavement Support Payment is linked to the deceased’s NI contributions, not their State Pension – it is not the same as inheriting State Pension. See our full Bereavement Support Payment guide for eligibility detail.
(Source: gov.uk – Bereavement Support Payment: what you’ll get. Last verified: 13 May 2026.)
Widowed Parent’s Allowance (legacy)
If the partner died before 6 April 2017, the older Widowed Parent’s Allowance may still be in payment to the survivor. New claims have not been accepted since 9 February 2023 (when the cohabiting partner rules changed). The DWP Bereavement Service can advise on existing entitlement. See our Widowed Parent’s Allowance guide for the rules.
Tell Us Once – how it works for State Pension specifically
For most families, Tell Us Once is the one and only contact needed to stop State Pension payments. The registrar offers the service when you register the death; you complete it then or use the reference number to do it online or by phone within 28 days.
For the State Pension, Tell Us Once does the following:
- Notifies DWP that the recipient has died
- Triggers an automatic stop on State Pension payments
- Flags the case for an overpayment review (DWP will calculate any amount due back from the estate)
- Notifies linked benefits administered by DWP – Pension Credit, Universal Credit, ESA, JSA, Income Support
It does not:
- Check what the surviving spouse or civil partner may be entitled to inherit (you need to ask the Pension Service separately)
- Lodge a claim for Bereavement Support Payment – you must claim that yourself
- Cover Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, or Attendance Allowance – these need separate notifications (see our DWP notification guide)
(Source: gov.uk – what to do after a death: Tell Us Once. Last verified: 13 May 2026.)
How long it takes
The State Pension itself stops on the date of death – the cancellation is administrative and happens within a few days of DWP being notified through Tell Us Once or the Bereavement Service. The other parts of the process take longer:
| Step | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| State Pension payments stopped | Within 1–2 weeks of DWP being notified |
| Overpayment letter from DWP to the estate | 4–8 weeks from notification |
| Inherited entitlement decision (where applicable) | 6–12 weeks from your enquiry to the Pension Service |
| Bereavement Support Payment decision | Around 4 weeks from claim |
If the deceased’s pension records are complex – older Additional State Pension entitlement, deferred periods, time spent contracted out of SERPS – inherited entitlement decisions can take longer. The Pension Service will write to you once the calculation is complete.
Tips and gotchas
A few practical points that come up repeatedly with State Pension bereavements:
- Overpayment clawback is normal, not a sign of error. DWP routinely reclaims a few weeks of State Pension that landed after the date of death. Wait for the letter, repay from the estate, keep records. Do not let it delay other estate work, and do not distribute the estate before this is settled.
- Inheritance is not automatic – you have to ask. Tell Us Once stops payments but does not check inheritance. If you do not contact the Pension Service to ask about Additional State Pension or a deferred pension, you may never find out you were entitled to it. Make the call.
- Cohabiting partners cannot inherit State Pension. A 30-year cohabiting partnership counts for nothing in State Pension inheritance rules. Bereavement Support Payment now extends to some cohabiting partners with children, but State Pension inheritance does not.
- The remarriage rule cuts off inheritance. If the surviving spouse remarries before reaching State Pension age, inherited entitlement is lost. If they remarry after reaching State Pension age, it usually continues.
- Pension Credit changes for the survivor. If the deceased was the higher earner and the survivor is over State Pension age, household income drops. Pension Credit tops up weekly income to a guaranteed minimum (£227.10 a week for a single person at the time of writing – check current rates at gov.uk/pension-credit). Many newly bereaved survivors become eligible who were not before. Call the Pension Credit helpline on 0800 99 1234.
- Tell Us Once is one-shot. You have 28 days from the registrar issuing the reference number. Miss the window and you have to notify each organisation separately.
- Funeral costs are not State Pension’s responsibility. Funeral costs are paid from the estate, or by the family, or supported through Funeral Expenses Payment for those on qualifying benefits in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, or Funeral Support Payment in Scotland.
- The deceased’s State Pension forecast can help with inheritance maths. If the family can find the deceased’s most recent State Pension statement or forecast (gov.uk login), it makes the Pension Service’s job faster when working out any protected payment or Additional State Pension that can be inherited.
If the deceased held other pensions alongside their State Pension – a NEST pension (the government-backed auto-enrolment scheme used by around 14 million workers), an NHS Pension, LGPS, Teachers’ Pension, Armed Forces Pension, Civil Service Pension, Police Pension, or a personal pension with Aviva, Standard Life, Scottish Widows, or Royal London – each needs its own separate notification. See our NEST pension guide and our pensions overview for the wider picture.
If you are not certain which workplace or personal pensions the deceased had, the government’s Pension Tracing Service can help you find contact details for old or forgotten pension schemes by searching by employer name. Note that the Pension Tracing Service covers workplace and personal pensions only – it does not cover the State Pension, which is handled entirely through DWP.
For the broader DWP picture – which other benefits to cancel, how to handle a joint Universal Credit claim, and the full list of survivor benefits to check – see our DWP notification guide.
If you are dealing with the deceased’s tax position alongside DWP, see our guide to notifying HMRC after a death.
For the full hub of company and organisation notification guides, see who to notify when someone dies.
Summary and key contacts
State Pension stops on the date of death. The fastest route to stop payments is Tell Us Once when you register the death. For anything else – missed deadlines, inherited entitlement enquiries, deaths abroad – call the relevant DWP line below.
| Contact | Phone | What for |
|---|---|---|
| DWP Bereavement Service | 0800 151 2012 | Report a death, stop State Pension and other DWP benefits, check survivor entitlement |
| The Pension Service | 0800 731 0469 | Inherited State Pension entitlement, deferred pension claims, Pension Credit |
| Welsh language line | 0800 731 0453 | Welsh language equivalent of the Bereavement Service |
| Pension Credit helpline | 0800 99 1234 | Claim or check Pension Credit (separate from the Pension Service) |
| Tell Us Once | Reference number from registrar | Notify multiple government departments in one step |
| Bereavement Support Payment | 0800 151 2012 | Apply for the tax-free bereavement benefit – see our guide |
All lines are free from landlines and mobiles, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Relay UK is available for all of them.
Phone numbers and rules last verified: 13 May 2026, from gov.uk, gov.uk – the new State Pension: inheriting, and gov.uk – basic State Pension: inheritance. Bereavement Support Payment rates from gov.uk – Bereavement Support Payment: what you’ll get.