Telling a pension scheme about a death

Contact the scheme administrator or pension provider for each of the schemes to tell them of the death.

If the person who has died was employed, their employer might have contacted the scheme but it’s best to make sure.

The scheme administrator or pension provider will then write to you to tell you what happens next.

Pension schemes often provide death benefits to the member’s beneficiaries. If you don’t know what the death benefits are or the rules that apply, contact the pension provider or the scheme administrator to find out.

You can also ask whether you’re entitled to receive any pension benefits and/or a cash lump sum from the pension scheme.

If the person was drawing a pension, tell the pension scheme as soon as possible. Be aware that you might have to pay back any pension payments received after the date of their death.

If the person was receiving a State Pension when they died, tell the Pension Service as soon as possible. This means they can stop paying the pension.

You can call the Pension Service on 0800 731 0469 – ask for the Bereavement Service.

You can also use the government’s Tell Us Once service. This lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go.