Adult dependant’s pensions

We will use the value of your retirement account to buy an annuity for your partner or pay it as a cash sum. These benefits are paid at the trustees’ discretion but taking into account your expression of wish form.

Your partner may choose an annuity that best suits their circumstances, for example by buying one that increases in payment to keep pace with inflation. We will help your partner buy their annuity from a provider such as an insurance company.

Benefits built up before April 2011

We pay adult dependant’s pensions for life. If your husband, wife or civil partner has been living apart from you for more than five years, they will only be entitled to a limited pension or possibly no pension at all.

If your adult dependant is more than 10 years younger than you, we may reduce the amount of pension that we pay.

In circumstances where we do not pay a husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s pension, the trustees may pay an equivalent pension to a person who has been validly nominated and who depends on you financially or with whom you share living expenses. We strongly advise you let us know if you have dependants that fall into this category. You should complete an expression of wish form for this purpose.