Death benefits

Survivor pensions

When you die, a pension will be paid to your surviving spouse, civil partner or nominated partner. The amount payable would depend on whether you're a serving member, your pension is deferred or you’re already receiving a pension from the scheme.

Spouse's or partner's pensions are payable for life. Children can receive a pension from the scheme until they’re 18 – or until they’re 23 if they’re still in full-time education. Children are no longer eligible if they marry, form a civil partnership or take up paid employment. Children who are permanently disabled at the time of the member’s death may be entitled to receive a pension for life. Full eligibility details are available from Police Scotland.

For serving members, survivor pensions are based on half of the upper-tier ill-health pension the member would have received if they’d retired on health grounds on the date of their death.

For people who have left the 2015 Scheme, survivor payments are based on the deferred pension entitlement.

For members who already receive a pension from the 2015 Scheme, your surviving qualifying partner will be paid half the net pension you were awarded at the date of retirement.

In each case, the survivors are entitled to the following proportion of the member’s entitlement:

Spouse or partner: 50%

Single child: 25%

Three or more eligible children: 50% shared equally between them

If the spouse or partner is more than 12 years younger than the deceased, the spouse or partner's pension will be reduced by 2.5% for every year above the 12 years, to a maximum of 50%.

If the deceased leaves no eligible spouse or partner but there is an eligible child or children, an additional pension would be paid to the child/children equivalent to that which would have been paid to an eligible spouse or partner. If there is more than one child the additional pension would be divided equally between the children. This pension stops when the children are no longer eligible.

Death grant

Scheme members who are actively paying into their pension when they die in service normally qualify for a death grant equal to three times their pensionable pay.

There are some exceptions to this, including taking account of variable working hours.

Post-retirement two year guarantee

In the event of death within two years of a pension coming into payment, there’s a two year guarantee. This means any balance between pension payments already paid and the total that would have been paid in the first two years of retirement, would be paid as a lump sum.

Survivor pensions

When you die, a pension will be paid to your surviving spouse, civil partner or nominated partner. The amount payable would depend on whether you're a serving member, your pension is deferred or you’re already receiving a pension from the scheme.

Spouse's or partner's pensions are payable for life. Children can receive a pension from the scheme until they’re 18 – or until they’re 23 if they’re still in full-time education. Children are no longer eligible if they marry, form a civil partnership or take up paid employment. Children who are permanently disabled at the time of death may be entitled to receive a pension for life. Full eligibility details are available from Police Scotland.

For serving members, survivor pensions are based on upper-tier ill-health pension the member would have received if they’d retired on health grounds on the date of their death.

For people who have left the PPS 2006 Scheme, survivor payments are based on the deferred pension entitlement.

For members who already receive a pension from the PPS 2006 Scheme, survivor pensions are based on value of the member’s net pension before any reduction for early payment.

In each case, the survivors are entitled to the following proportion of the member’s entitlement:

Spouse or partner: 50%

Single child or two children: 25%

Three or more eligible children: 50% shared equally between them.

If the spouse or partner is more than 12 years younger than the deceased, the spouse or partner's pension will be reduced by 2.5% for every year or part year over the 12 years, to a maximum of 50%.

If the deceased leaves no eligible spouse or partner but there is an eligible child or children, an additional pension would be paid to the child/children equivalent to that which would have been paid to an eligible spouse or partner. If there is more than one child the additional pension would be divided equally between the children. This pension stops when the children are no longer eligible.

First thirteen weeks’ top up

For the first 13 weeks following death, the spouse's or partner's pension will be topped up to the level of the deceased's pensionable pay (death in service) or the pension in payment (death after pension comes into payment). This top-up does not apply in the case of a deferred pension. If no spouse's or partner's pension is payable but a child's pension is due, the top-up would be applied to the child's pension.

Death grant

Scheme members who are actively paying into their pension when they die in service normally qualify for a death grant equal to three times their pensionable pay.

There are some exceptions to this including taking account of variable working hours.

Although you can nominate who you would like to benefit, Police Scotland has absolute discretion as to who will receive the death grant.

Survivor pensions

When you die, a pension will be paid to your surviving spouse or civil partner. The amounts payable depend on whether you're a serving member, your pension is deferred or you’re already receiving a pension from the scheme.

Spouse's or partner's pensions are payable for life. Dependent children can receive a pension from the scheme until they’re 18 – or until they’re 23 if they’re still in full-time education. Children are no longer eligible if they marry, form a civil partnership or take up paid employment. Children who are permanently disabled at the time of death may be entitled to receive a pension for life. Full eligibility details are available from Police Scotland.

For serving members, survivor pensions are based on the lower and higher-tier ill health pensions the member would have received if they’d retired on ill health grounds on the date of their death.

For people who have left the PPS 1987 Scheme, survivor payments are based on the deferred pension entitlement.

For those who already receive a pension from the PPS 1987 Scheme, survivor pensions are based on the value of the member’s pension before any reduction for early payment but after commutation. (Commutation is giving up an amount of pension payable in retirement in exchange for a lump sum.)

In each case, the survivors are entitled to the following proportion of the member’s entitlement:

Spouse or partner: half of the officer's pension (before commutation)

Single child: 18.75%

Two children: 18.75% each

Three or more eligible children: 35.7% shared equally between eligible children

Surviving spouse of female officers who joined prior to 17 May 1990

Widowers' benefits for female officers who joined prior to 17 May 1990 are only calculated to include service from 17 May 1990 up to their retirement date and does not include any service prior to 17 May 1990.

Members would have had the option at the time to purchase spouse entitlement from 6 April 1988 – 16 May 1990.  If they chose to do so, then the survivor's pension would be based on service from 6 April 1988.

Post Retirement Marriages

In the case of a of a post-retirement marriage the survivor's pension will only be based on service from 6 April 1978 up to their retirement date and does not include any service prior to this.  For female officers the survivor's pension would be based on service only from 17 May 1990 unless purchased from 6 April 1988.

Members with Service Prior to 1 April 1972

In cases where members had service prior to 1 April 1972 the survivor’s pension is dependent on whether the member chose to pay additional payments to increase the  pension for the survivor.  Prior to 1 April 1972 members paid a lower rate of contributions which only provided a 1/3 rate pension as opposed to ½ rate thereafter.

If members chose not to uprate the pre 1 April 1972 contributions at this time by either paying by lump sum, additional contributions or having it taken of Lump sum at retirement then the survivor's pension will be a mixed rate calculation. In such cases the pension would be based on 1/3 rate pension for service up to 31 March 1972 and ½ rate based on service from 1 April 1972 to retirement date.

If they did choose to uprate the pre 72 service by any of the above methods, then the full service would then be based on ½ rate. 

First thirteen weeks’ top up

For the first 13 weeks following death, the spouse's or partner's pension will be topped up to the level of the deceased's pensionable pay (death in service) or the pension in payment (death after pension comes into payment). This top-up does not apply in the case of a deferred pension. If no spouse's or partner's pension is payable but a child's pension is due, the top-up would be applied to the child's pension.

Death grant

Scheme members who are actively paying into their pension when they die in service normally qualify for a death grant equal to two times their pensionable pay.

There are some exceptions to this including taking account of variable working hours.

Although you can nominate who you would like to benefit, Police Scotland has absolute discretion as to who will receive the death grant.

Children’s pensions are paid up to the age of 18, or age 23 if they are in full time education. It may be paid indefinitely if your child is permanently disabled at the date of your death.

One quarter (25%) of your pension at the date of your death will be payable. If you leave three or more children then they will share 50% of your pension equally between them.

If, when you die, the various payments from the scheme (excluding the lump sum) are less than your total pension contributions paid, an extra award equal to the balance will be paid to your estate.