Eligible cohabiting partner
Printer-friendly versionAn eligible cohabiting partner is a partner you are living with who, at the date of your death, has met all of the following conditions for a continuous period of at least 2 years:
- you and your cohabiting partner are, and have been, free to marry each other or enter into a civil partnership with each other, and
- you and your cohabiting partner have been living together as if you were a married couple, or civil partners, and
- neither you or your cohabiting partner have been living with someone else as if you/they were a married couple or civil partners, and
- either your cohabiting partner is, and has been, financially dependent on you or you are, and have been, financially interdependent on each other.
Your partner is financially dependent on you if you have the highest income. Financially interdependent means that you rely on your joint finances to support your standard of living. It doesn’t mean that you need to be contributing equally. For example, if your partner’s income is a lot more than yours, he or she may pay the mortgage and most of the bills, and you may pay for the weekly shopping.
On your death, a survivor’s pension would be paid to your cohabiting partner if:
- all of the above criteria apply at the date of your death, and
- your cohabiting partner satisfies your administering authority that the above conditions had been met for a continuous period of at least 2 years immediately prior to your death.
You are not required to complete a form to nominate a cohabiting partner for entitlement to a cohabiting partner’s pension.
However, you can provide the Fund with your cohabiting partner’s details.
The Fund will require evidence upon your death to check that the conditions for a cohabiting partner's pension are met.