You can nominate any person, including a child, and/or an organisation (such as a bank, a trust, a firm of solicitors or accountants) to receive the death benefit lump sum. The advantage of making a nomination is that we can then pay the benefit without delay.
If you do not nominate anyone, we will pay the lump sum to your personal representative.
You can add or amend your death benefit nomination on the Pension Portal or by completing a death benefit nomination form. You can download the form from the Members Forms page.
You should be aware that if you have nominated your husband, wife or civil partner and the marriage/civil partnership comes to an end, through divorce or dissolution (but not separation), the nomination will no longer be valid and you will have to make a new nomination.
If you separate from a partner to whom you are neither married nor in a civil partnership with and you had nominated them as a beneficiary, the nomination will remain valid. You will need to change your nomination or cancel it, if you wish.
Note
At the time of a divorce or dissolution, a court may order that when a scheme member, or a previous member, dies, all or part of the death benefit must be paid to the ex-husband, ex-wife or ex-civil partner. If this is the case, we may pay any balance to the person(s) or organisation you nominated (nominee) or to the personal representative.
You should keep your nominations under review. The Pension Portal and your Annual Benefit Statement (ABS) show your nominee(s).