What conditions need to be met for an eligible cohabiting partner’s survivor’s pension to be payable?

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If you have a cohabiting partner, of either opposite or same sex, they will be entitled to receive a survivor's pension on your death if they meet the criteria to be considered to be an eligible cohabiting partner.
 
For an eligible cohabiting partner's survivor’s pension to be payable, all of the following conditions must have applied for a continuous period of at least 2 years on the date of your death:
 
  • 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 and wife 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 the Fund that the above conditions had been met for a continuous period of at least 2 years immediately prior to your death.