Opposite-sex Civil Partnerships and Survivors' Benefits
Printer-friendly versionOn 5 November 2019, The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 were made. The Regulations changed the law to allow opposite-sex couples to form a civil partnership from 2 December 2019.
It was therefore necessary to make amendments to primary and secondary legislation, including some of the legislation applying to public service pension schemes. Consequently, on the same day amended Local Government Pension Scheme regulations were laid before Parliament.
The Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2019 became effective on 31 December 2019 and extended the payment of survivor benefits to opposite-sex civil partnerships. A person who is the surviving opposite-sex civil partner of a deceased member will be provided with a survivor pension calculated on the basis that the survivor is a widow or widower, depending on their gender. In addition to a survivors’ pension, a death grant could also be payable if the deceased member died under age 75 and within 10 years of starting to receive their pension.
It is important that members tell us who they wish to receive any death grant payable in these circumstances, by completing the Death Grant Expression of Wish form. You can download this form at: mpfund.uk/dg