Survivors and
Dependants
If a police officer dies as the result of an injury received on duty, the injury benefit rules add awards for the family on top of the pension scheme's own benefits. This page sets out what they are, who can receive them, and how to ask for them, in plain terms.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 7 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Where death results from a duty injury, the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 give a surviving spouse or civil partner a special pension of 45% of the officer's average pensionable pay (50% under the augmented award) and a special gratuity; each eligible child an allowance of 10% of pay (20% if orphaned); and, in some cases, a death gratuity and awards for other dependants. The scheme's lump sum death grant is paid as well, but only one survivor pension is paid: the greater. Since 1 April 2015, a new marriage or cohabitation does not stop a special pension.
If you are newly bereaved
We are sorry you are reading this. You do not need to understand all of this page now. Most of it can wait, and the people listed below can do much of the work with you.
Only a few things have time limits that are worth knowing early:
- Bereavement Support Payment. GOV.UK says you usually need to claim within 3 months of the death to get the full amount. You can still claim later, but you may get less.
- Tell Us Once. If the registrar gives you a Tell Us Once reference number, GOV.UK says you must use it within 28 days. If there is an inquest, you can still get a reference number once the coroner has given you an interim death certificate.
- Challenging a decision. If a pension or injury benefit decision is refused later, appeal time limits can be short. Get help from the Federation or a solicitor as soon as you receive a refusal.
Everything else can be done at your own pace. A short letter or email asking the force's pensions team to consider injury benefit awards is enough to start things off.
Two sets of rules
When a police officer dies, two separate sets of rules can pay the family.
- The pension scheme. The 1987, 2006 or 2015 Police Pension Scheme pays a lump sum death grant, a survivor's pension and children's pensions, whatever the cause of death. Our death in service guide covers these in full.
- The Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006. Where the death results from an injury received in the execution of duty, these add special awards: a special pension and gratuity for a spouse or civil partner, allowances for children, and in some cases a death gratuity and awards for other dependants. They are paid by the police authority, not the pension scheme, though the same administrator often handles both.
The two do not simply add together. Regulation 27 says that where someone would be entitled to more than one survivor pension for the same death, they receive one only: the one they choose or, if they do not choose, the greater. The same applies to a child's special allowance and a child's pension under the scheme. The pension scheme's lump sum death grant is separate and is paid in addition, though it reduces the death gratuity described below.
Regulation 27(2) allows more than one award where the awards are calculated by reference to different periods of pensionable service. That could matter where an officer had service in more than one scheme. We have not been able to confirm how administrators apply it, so ask for the calculation in writing.
When the injury benefit rules apply
The special awards apply where a member of a police force "dies or has died as the result of an injury received without his own default in the execution of his duty" (regulations 13 and 17). Each part of that test matters.
- "As the result of an injury". Regulation 8 says death is treated as the result of an injury if the injury "caused or substantially contributed to" it. The injury does not have to be the only cause. "Injury" includes any injury or disease, whether of body or of mind.
- "In the execution of duty". Regulation 6 treats an officer as in the execution of duty while on duty, on a journey necessary to report for duty or to return home afterwards, or where the injury would not have happened had they not been known to be a constable. The authority can also treat an injury as received in the execution of duty where it thinks that last condition may be met. The courts have said there must be a substantial causal connection between the injury and the duty.
- "Without his own default". An injury is treated as received without default unless it was wholly or mainly due to the officer's own serious and culpable negligence or misconduct.
- Serving or retired. The rules apply whether the officer died while serving or after leaving. A retired officer who received an injury award, and later died as a result of that injury, can leave survivors entitled to special awards, with the differences explained below.
The police authority decides entitlement in the first instance (regulation 30(1)). The questions the regulations require it to refer to a Selected Medical Practitioner are about disablement; we did not find a provision requiring the cause of death to be referred in the same way. In practice the authority will look at the medical evidence, the post-mortem and any inquest findings.
The awards at a glance
| Award | Amount | Who and when |
|---|---|---|
| Adult survivor's special pension (reg 13) | 45% of the officer's average pensionable pay a year | Surviving spouse or civil partner, married or in a civil partnership before the officer last left regular service |
| Adult survivor's special gratuity (reg 13) | 25% of average pensionable pay, plus, if the officer died while serving, the greater of one year's average pensionable pay or 2.25 times the ill-health pension the officer would have had | As above. Reduced by any injury gratuity the officer had already received (reg 13(13)) |
| Augmented award (reg 14) | Pension of 50% of pay; gratuity of twice the annual pensionable pay of a Metropolitan Police constable with 30 years' service for pay (or the reg 13 gratuity if that is more favourable) | Where the officer was attacked in a manner intrinsically likely to cause death, was injured making an arrest or preventing an escape or rescue from custody, or saving life with an intrinsic likelihood of a fatal injury, or the authority so decides |
| Child's special allowance (reg 17) | 10% of average pensionable pay a year per child while one parent is alive; 20% if the child has no surviving parent. Five or more children share 40% (or 80%) | Each eligible child, within the age and education limits in reg 19 |
| Child's special gratuity (reg 18) | Twice the annual pensionable pay of a Metropolitan Police constable with 30 years' service, shared between the children | Only where the augmented award conditions are met and there is no adult survivor entitled to a gratuity |
| Adult dependent relative's special pension (reg 20) | Calculated under Schedule 5; paid for periods the authority decides | Discretionary. A parent, brother or sister, or adult child substantially dependent on the officer, and in some cases a disabled widower or civil partner |
| Death gratuity (reg 21) | The lesser of five times pensionable pay, or four times total remuneration in the last 12 months plus pension contributions; reduced by other gratuities and the death grant (reg 22) | Only where the officer died within 12 months of receiving the injury. Paid to the adult survivor, or else the children, or else a dependent relative |
| First 13 weeks (reg 28) | Special pension and children's allowances topped up to the officer's weekly pay (or weekly pension, if retired) | Where the officer was serving, or receiving an injury or police pension, when they died |
"Average pensionable pay" is the officer's pensionable pay over the relevant year. For 2015 scheme members, SI 2018/997 makes it the officer's "final pay" under the 2015 scheme, which can look back over earlier years with inflation adjustments. The special pension and children's allowances are increased each year in line with public service pensions (regulations 13(14), 17(7) and 29).
A surviving spouse or civil partner
Regulation 13 gives an "adult survivor", meaning a surviving spouse or surviving civil partner, an award made of two parts.
The special pension
A pension of 45% of the officer's average pensionable pay a year (regulation 13(3)). Because of regulation 27, it is paid instead of the pension scheme's survivor pension if it is the larger of the two, which it often is for officers with shorter service.
The special gratuity
A lump sum of 25% of average pensionable pay. If the officer died while serving, it also includes the greater of:
- one year's average pensionable pay, or
- 2.25 times the ill-health pension the officer would have received if retired on the day of death. SI 2018/997 sets which pension: the 1987 ill-health pension, the 2006 standard plus enhanced pension, or the 2015 upper tier pension, depending on the officer's scheme.
If the officer had already received an injury gratuity, the special gratuity is reduced by that amount, or not paid if the officer's gratuity was as large (regulation 13(13)).
Conditions
- Timing of the marriage or civil partnership. For the full award, the survivor must have been married to, or in a civil partnership with, the officer before the officer last stopped being a regular police officer (regulation 13(6)). A survivor whose marriage came later receives a smaller pension worked out under regulation 13(7) to (12), and not the gratuity. That calculation refers to the 1987 scheme formula; we could not confirm how it is applied to 2006 or 2015 scheme members.
- Separation. Regulation 15 excludes a survivor who was separated from the officer by a court order or decree at the time of death, where the officer was neither required by a court to support them nor in fact regularly contributing to their support (support for a child counts).
- Same-sex spouses are in the same position as opposite-sex spouses and civil partners (SI 2014/79).
- An old state benefit reduction. Regulation 13(4) reduces the special pension where a widow receives a particular industrial death benefit widow's pension above a set level. We did not check whether anyone still receives that benefit, so ask the administrator if any reduction is applied.
As we read regulation 13, the special pension and gratuity are for a surviving spouse or civil partner only. An unmarried partner may qualify for a survivor pension under the 2006 or 2015 pension scheme if they satisfy the scheme's relationship and cohabitation tests; see our cohabitation guide. The officer's children can still receive children's special allowances, subject to the date rules in regulation 19, which can exclude a child born after the officer left regular service to parents who were not married then. If you are an unmarried partner, ask the administrator to confirm your position in writing.
The augmented award
Regulation 14 gives a higher award where one of these applies:
- the officer was attacked by a person or persons in a manner "intrinsically likely to cause death", and died as a result of the attack;
- the injury was received in the course of duties performed for the immediate purpose of making an arrest, or of preventing an escape or rescue from legal custody;
- the injury was received in the course of duties performed for the immediate purpose of saving the life of another person or preventing loss of human life, in circumstances where there was an intrinsic likelihood of a fatal injury;
- the police authority thinks one of those conditions may be satisfied and that the regulation should apply; or
- the authority thinks the injury was received in other circumstances that would make it "inequitable" not to pay an augmented award.
The augmented award pays a special pension of 50% of average pensionable pay, and a gratuity of twice the annual pensionable pay, at the date of death, of a Metropolitan Police constable entitled to reckon 30 years' service for pay purposes. If the ordinary regulation 13 gratuity would be more favourable, that is paid instead. We have not worked out the current Metropolitan Police figure, so ask the administrator for it.
The last two conditions give the authority a discretion. If you think the circumstances of the death fit, say so in writing and explain why.
Children
For these regulations, "child" means a child of any age who is the officer's own child, step-child or adopted child, or another child who was substantially dependent on the officer and is related to them or is the child of their spouse or civil partner (Schedule 1). The age and other limits are in regulation 19.
Child's special allowance (regulation 17)
- 10% of the officer's average pensionable pay a year for each child, while one of the child's parents is alive.
- 20% for a child whose other parent has died, or who had no other surviving parent.
- Where five or more allowances are payable, they share 40% of pay (or 80% for children with no surviving parent).
- The scheme's own child's pension is not paid as well; the greater of the two is paid (regulation 27).
How long it is paid
Regulation 19, as made, sets these limits. They may have been amended since, so check with the administrator:
- Aged 16: not paid for any period of full-time employment, unless that employment is full-time training of at least a year for a trade, profession or calling.
- Aged 17 and 18: paid only while the child is in full-time education or training of at least a year, or is permanently disabled.
- From 19: paid only if one of those conditions continues, subject to a discretion for the authority.
- Not paid after 23 unless the child is permanently disabled and meets the conditions in regulation 19(9)(b).
Regulation 19(1) also excludes some children who joined the family after the officer last left regular service: for example, a child born later (other than of a marriage or civil partnership formed before then), a step-child from a later marriage, or a child adopted later. Schedule 4 can reduce an allowance where a child in training is paid above a set rate.
Child's special gratuity (regulation 18)
Where the augmented award conditions are met and there is no adult survivor entitled to a gratuity, the children share a gratuity of twice the annual pensionable pay of a Metropolitan Police constable with 30 years' service.
Other dependants and the death gratuity
Adult dependent relative's special pension (regulation 20)
The police authority may, if it decides it is right in all the circumstances, grant a special pension to a relative who was substantially dependent on the officer immediately before the death. That can be a parent, a brother or sister aged 19 or over, a child aged 19 or over, or, where the officer was a woman whose husband or civil partner was permanently disabled at the time, that husband or civil partner. The amount is set by Schedule 5, which we did not read in detail, and the authority decides the period. This award is discretionary.
Death gratuity (regulation 21)
Where the officer died within 12 months of receiving the injury, the authority pays a death gratuity. It goes to the adult survivor, or if there is none, to the children, or if there are none, to a dependent relative. The amount is the lesser of:
- five times the officer's annual pensionable pay, or
- four times the officer's total remuneration in the last 12 months, plus their pension contributions for the relevant period.
Regulation 22 then deducts other payments for the same death, including any injury gratuity the officer received, the adult survivor's special gratuity, and the 1987 scheme or 2015 scheme lump sum death grant (the 2015 grant was added by SI 2018/997). We could not confirm how a 2006 scheme death grant is treated. Because of these deductions the death gratuity can be small, or nothing.
Regulation 23 lets the authority take into account damages or compensation recovered for the death, including Fatal Accidents Act damages. The gratuity is only paid once the person receiving it gives a written undertaking to tell the authority about, and repay up to a limit, any damages or compensation recovered later. That applies to the regulation 21 gratuity, not to the special pension. If a civil claim is possible, mention it to your solicitor and the administrator early.
A worked example
A constable who joined in 2016 dies while serving, as the result of a duty injury, at age 38. They had 10 years' service, all in the 2015 scheme, and final pay of £52,015 (the 2026/27 constable top point, used as average pensionable pay for simplicity). They were married before the injury and had two children under 16. The circumstances do not meet the augmented award conditions. Pension scheme figures use the rules in our death in service guide.
| Who | 2015 scheme pension | Injury benefit award | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse | £9,876.27 (half the £19,752.53 upper tier pension) | £23,406.75 (45% of pay) | £23,406.75 |
| Each child (two children) | £4,938.13 | £5,201.50 (10% of pay) | £5,201.50 |
| Total a year | £33,809.75 |
| Payment | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Lump sum death grant (2015 scheme) | £156,045.00 | 3 times final pay |
| Special gratuity (reg 13) | £65,018.75 | £13,003.75 (25% of pay) plus the greater of £52,015.00 (pay) and £44,443.20 (2.25 times the upper tier pension) |
| 13-week top-up (reg 28) | about £4,578.32 | Weekly pay of £1,000.29 less weekly pensions of £648.11, for 13 weeks (allowances ignored) |
If the death had happened within 12 months of the injury, a regulation 21 death gratuity could also be due. Five times pay is £260,075.00. After deducting the death grant and the special gratuity, the most it could be in this example is £39,011.25. The actual figure depends on the officer's total remuneration and pension contributions, which we have not modelled, and could be lower.
If the augmented award applied, the spouse's pension would be £26,007.50 a year (50% of pay) instead of £23,406.75, and the gratuity would be based on a Metropolitan Police constable's pay. If both parents had died, each child's allowance would be £10,403.00 (20% of pay).
For a longer-serving officer, the pension scheme's survivor pension can be larger than 45% of pay, in which case that is the one paid. Officers with service in the 1987 or 2006 scheme have their own scheme rules, so their families should ask the administrator for figures rather than rely on this example.
Remarriage, a new civil partnership or cohabitation
This changed in 2015, and many older documents still describe the old rule.
Before the change, regulation 16 stopped a special pension if the survivor married, remarried, formed a civil partnership or started living with someone as a couple. The Police Pensions and Police (Injury Benefit) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/2057), made in December 2015 with effect from 1 April 2015, added the words "before 1st April 2015" to each of those rules. The explanatory note says the change lets widows and surviving civil partners keep their pensions or gratuities if they marry, remarry, form a civil partnership or start to cohabit after 1 April 2015.
So what matters is when the new relationship began, not when the officer died.
| Situation | What happens | Where the rule is |
|---|---|---|
| Adult survivor's special pension (reg 13 or 14). The new marriage, civil partnership or cohabitation began on or after 1 April 2015 | The pension continues | Reg 16 as amended by SI 2015/2057 reg 6, with effect from 1 April 2015 |
| Adult survivor's special pension. The new relationship began before 1 April 2015 | Payment stopped from the start of that relationship. If the survivor is widowed again, the marriage or civil partnership ends, or the cohabitation ends, the authority may bring the pension back into payment at its discretion | Reg 16(1) to (4) |
| Unpaid parts of a special gratuity | Same split: unaffected by a relationship that began on or after 1 April 2015; not payable after one that began before then, subject to the same discretion | Reg 16(5) to (8) as amended |
| 1987 scheme widow's or civil partner's pension, where the survivor is also entitled to a special pension | Continues for a relationship that began on or after 1 April 2015, unless the 1987 pension had already stopped before that date and had not been brought back into payment | 1987 Regulations reg C9(5) to (7), inserted by SI 2015/2057 reg 3 |
| 1987 scheme widow's or civil partner's pension, with no special pension | Stops on remarriage, a new civil partnership or cohabitation; can be restored at the authority's discretion | See our death in service guide |
| 2006 and 2015 scheme survivor pensions | The Home Office has said these are lifelong, including for survivors who remarry or cohabit | Home Office written answer, 8 September 2025, as summarised in our death in service guide |
The 2015 change did not restart pensions that had already stopped. But regulation 16(4) has always let the authority bring a special pension back into payment, at its discretion, if the survivor is widowed again, the marriage or civil partnership ends, or the cohabitation ends. If that applies to you, you can ask.
Taking a lump sum instead of a pension
Regulation 24 lets the police authority swap all or part of an adult survivor's special pension for a one-off gratuity, where the officer died before State Pension age. It can do this only if the survivor consents and the authority is satisfied there are sufficient reasons. The gratuity is 11 times the annual value of the pension given up, or a larger agreed amount up to its capitalised value under tables prepared by the Scheme actuary. Regulation 26 limits this where the officer was already receiving a 1987, 2006 or 2015 scheme pension. Very small pensions can be commuted without consent (regulation 24(2)).
Regulation 25 allows the same for a child's special allowance, with the consent of the surviving parent or guardian.
The special pension is increased every year and is not stopped by a new relationship that begins on or after 1 April 2015. Eleven years of pension is a large sum, but it can be worth much less than the pension over a lifetime. Take independent advice before agreeing.
The ordinary pension scheme benefits, briefly
These are paid whatever the cause of death. Our death in service guide explains them in full, with sources. In outline, for an officer who dies in service:
- 2015 scheme: lump sum of 3 times final pay; a survivor pension of half the upper tier ill-health pension (2 years' qualifying service needed); children's pensions.
- 2006 scheme: lump sum of 3 times pensionable pay; survivor pension of half the standard plus enhanced ill-health pension; children's pensions.
- 1987 scheme: lump sum of 2 times pensionable pay; a widow's, widower's or civil partner's pension of half the ill-health pension; children's allowances; no pension for unmarried partners.
Unmarried partners can qualify for survivor pensions in the 2006 and 2015 schemes if they meet the relationship and cohabitation tests. Who receives the lump sum depends on the scheme rules and any nomination the officer made.
State benefits and tax
Bereavement Support Payment
GOV.UK says Bereavement Support Payment is not means-tested, so police survivor pensions do not affect it. You must have been under State Pension age when your partner died, and married, in a civil partnership, or living together as if married. Your partner must either have paid enough National Insurance contributions, or have "died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work", which may be relevant after a death on duty.
- Higher rate: a one-off £3,500 and 18 monthly payments of £350. For married couples and civil partners this applies if you were getting Child Benefit, were entitled to it, or were pregnant. For couples living together as if married, GOV.UK gives the same figures, but you can only claim (unless applying for a backdated payment) if you were getting or entitled to Child Benefit for a child living with you, or were pregnant, when your partner died.
- Lower rate: a one-off £2,500 and 18 monthly payments of £100.
- Claim within 3 months of the death for the full amount; usually no payments after 21 months.
- Claim online, by phone on 0800 151 2012, or by post on form BSP1.
GOV.UK lists Bereavement Support Payment as tax-free.
Universal Credit
DWP's guidance for decision makers (ADM H5012) lists "Police and Fire-fighters' disablement or special widow's pension schemes" as occupational pensions, which are taken fully into account as unearned income for Universal Credit. So a special pension, like any police survivor pension, reduces Universal Credit. The same guidance says the monthly Bereavement Support Payment is not a prescribed source of unearned income for Universal Credit, and GOV.UK says it will not affect your benefits for a year after your first payment.
New Style ESA
If you claim New Style ESA yourself, regulation 68 of the ESA Regulations 2013 says a pension paid to you as a beneficiary on the death of a scheme member is not treated as a pension payment that reduces ESA.
Tax
HMRC's manual (EIM75900) says injury benefit scheme payments to a person disabled by an injury at work can be tax-free. It does not address survivors' special pensions or gratuities, and we did not find HMRC guidance that does. Ask the administrator how it is taxing each payment, and check with HMRC if you are unsure. Our guide is a police injury pension tax-free? covers the officer's own award.
How to ask for the awards
There is no single form in the regulations. In practice the process looks like this. Take it one step at a time.
- Ask the force who your contact is. The force may already have given you a named contact. If not, ask for one, and ask who in the pensions team or pension administrator is handling the death benefits.
- Ask, in writing, for injury benefit awards to be considered. A short letter or email is enough: say that you believe the death resulted from an injury received in the execution of duty, and ask the police pension authority to consider awards under the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 for you and any children, alongside the pension scheme benefits. If the circumstances may meet the augmented award conditions, say so.
- Gather what you can, when you can. The table below lists what is usually useful. You do not need everything at once, and the force will hold some of it already.
- Ask for the decision and the figures in writing. Ask for a breakdown showing which awards are being paid, the average pensionable pay used, and how regulation 27 (one award only) has been applied.
- If a claim is refused. Regulation 34 lets a person claiming an award in respect of an officer appeal to the Crown Court against a refusal to admit a claim as of right, or to pay a larger award. There is no appeal under regulation 34 against anything done under a power the regulations expressly describe as discretionary (regulation 36), such as restoring a pension under regulation 16(4). Time limits for a Crown Court appeal can be short; we have not verified the exact period. Contact the Federation or a solicitor as soon as you receive a refusal.
| Document | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (or the coroner's interim certificate) | Needed by the pension administrator, DWP and others |
| Marriage or civil partnership certificate | Shows the relationship existed before the officer left regular service (reg 13(6)) |
| Children's birth or adoption certificates | For children's special allowances and the date tests in reg 19 |
| Evidence a child or relative was dependent on the officer | For a step-child, a child dependent on the officer, or a dependent relative under reg 20 |
| The injury on duty report and any related force records | Shows the injury was received in the execution of duty |
| Medical records, the post-mortem report and inquest findings when available | Help show the injury caused or substantially contributed to the death (reg 8) |
| Any injury award papers, if the officer had retired | Shows an injury award was already in payment, which affects the gratuity and the 13-week rule |
| Details of any civil claim or criminal injuries compensation | Damages or compensation can be taken into account against the reg 21 death gratuity (reg 23) |
Keep copies of everything you send and receive, with dates. If a document is not available yet, for example because an inquest is not finished, say so and send it later.
Support for families
You do not have to deal with this alone. These organisations work with police families. We have described each from its own website; check its current eligibility when you contact it.
- Care of Police Survivors (COPS). A charity that supports the families of police officers and staff who have lost their lives on duty, with peer support, counselling support and an annual service of remembrance. Phone 01543 410790 or visit ukcops.org.
- Police Federation. If the officer was a Federation member, the local branch can explain local support and help with the claim and any challenge. In 2023 the Derbyshire Federation branch reported a free bereavement counselling service from Just 'B', funded by Oscar Kilo (the National Police Wellbeing Service), for families and colleagues after an officer is killed in the line of duty or dies by suicide. Referrals were described as usually coming through the force's occupational health or wellbeing team; ask whether it is still running.
- Police Care UK. A charity offering psychological, practical and financial support to serving and veteran officers, staff, volunteers and their families harmed through policing. Its financial support page lists funds including a hardship fund and education bursaries for young people. Phone 03000 120030 or visit policecare.org.uk.
- Citizens Advice. Free help with benefits, including Bereavement Support Payment and Universal Credit.
- Your GP and the services in our support directory, for you and for colleagues who were affected.
If the officer had already retired
Some families face this years after the injury: an officer retired with an injury award, and later died because of that injury. The special awards can still apply, but several rules work differently.
- The special pension. Payable at 45% of the officer's average pensionable pay, as long as you were married to, or in a civil partnership with, the officer before they last left regular service. If you married after they retired, a smaller pension under regulation 13(7) applies instead.
- The special gratuity. Only the 25% part is paid, because the larger part applies only where the officer died while serving. It is then reduced by the injury gratuity the officer received when they retired, so it may be nil.
- The first 13 weeks. Regulation 28 tops up the special pension and children's allowances so that, for 13 weeks, they are not less than the officer's weekly pension, counting the police pension and the injury pension together and ignoring any reduction for state benefits.
- The death gratuity. For someone who had left the force, regulation 21 applies only if they died within 12 months of the injury and before any decision that they were totally and permanently disabled by it. So it rarely applies after a long retirement.
- Proving the cause. The family will need to show that the duty injury caused or substantially contributed to the death. The officer's injury award papers, the SMP's reports and later medical records can all help.
Because the officer's injury pension stops at death, it is worth asking the administrator early whether it has considered the special awards, rather than assuming it will do so automatically.
Questions to ask the pension administrator
You can copy these into an email. Ask for answers in writing, so you have them to show an adviser later.
- Are you considering awards under the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006, as well as the pension scheme benefits?
- Who decides whether the death resulted from an injury received in the execution of duty, and what evidence do you need from me?
- Have you considered whether the augmented award in regulation 14 applies?
- What average pensionable pay figure are you using, and how was it worked out?
- How have you applied regulation 27: which survivor pension and which children's awards are being paid, and why?
- Is a death gratuity under regulation 21 due, and what has been deducted from it under regulation 22?
- When will the 13-week increase under regulation 28 be paid, and how was it calculated?
- How is each payment being taxed?
- Is there anything you are waiting for, such as inquest findings, before you can decide?
Words you may see in letters
- Adult survivor. The regulations' term for a surviving spouse or civil partner.
- Special award. The special pension and gratuity under regulation 13.
- Augmented award. The higher award under regulation 14.
- Average pensionable pay. The pay figure the awards are percentages of. For 2015 scheme members it is "final pay".
- Police pension authority. The body that decides and pays injury awards for the force. Day to day, a pensions team or an outside administrator usually deals with it.
- Execution of duty. The test for whether the injury counts. See "When the injury benefit rules apply" above.
- Gratuity. A one-off lump sum.
- Commutation. Swapping some or all of a pension for a lump sum.
What people get wrong
- "The special pension stops if I remarry." Not if the new relationship began on or after 1 April 2015.
- "We get the scheme survivor pension and the special pension." Normally only the greater of the two is paid. The scheme's lump sum is paid as well.
- "It only applies if the officer died at work." It applies where a duty injury caused or substantially contributed to the death, including some years later.
- "The force will sort everything automatically." It may, but asking in writing for injury benefit awards to be considered costs nothing and avoids gaps.
- "Mental health injuries do not count." Injury includes injury or disease of mind. Whether a particular death resulted from a duty injury depends on the evidence.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland has its own Police (Injury Benefit) (Scotland) Regulations 2007, and Northern Ireland has the PSNI and PSNI Reserve (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006. They follow a similar structure, but we did not check whether the 2015 remarriage change, or the other amendments described here, were made in the same way. SI 2015/2057 extends to England and Wales. If the officer served in Scotland or Northern Ireland, ask the Scottish Police Authority's or the Northern Ireland Policing Board's pension administrator.
Not verified / needs checking
- A consolidated official text. legislation.gov.uk shows the 2006 Regulations as made, with many later amendments not applied. We read the amending instruments listed in the sources, but there may be others we did not find, including changes to the children's age limits in regulation 19.
- Marriage after the officer left. How the reduced pension in regulation 13(7) to (12), which refers to the 1987 scheme formula, is worked out for 2006 and 2015 scheme members.
- Regulation 27(2). When administrators pay more than one survivor award because the awards relate to different periods of service.
- Unmarried partners. Our reading is that the adult special award is for spouses and civil partners only. We found no amendment extending it, but did not search every instrument.
- The 2006 scheme death grant. Regulation 22 names the 1987 and 2015 scheme death grants as deductions from the regulation 21 gratuity; we could not confirm the position for the 2006 scheme.
- Who decides the cause of death. We found no provision requiring it to be referred to a Selected Medical Practitioner; how authorities decide it in practice varies.
- Crown Court time limits for an appeal under regulation 34.
- Tax on survivors' special pensions and gratuities.
- The augmented gratuity figure (a Metropolitan Police constable's pay with 30 years' service) and the Schedule 5 dependent relative calculation.
- Support services. The Oscar Kilo and Just 'B' service was reported in 2023; we have not confirmed it is still running.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland. Whether the same amendments apply.
If any of these affects you, ask the pension administrator to explain in writing, and involve the Federation or a solicitor.
If you do only one thing this week, send a short email to the force's pensions team asking whether injury benefit awards are being considered alongside the death in service benefits, and who your contact is. If you would like someone with you through the process, Care of Police Survivors and the Federation branch are good first calls. Everything else can follow in its own time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a spouse get if a police officer dies on duty?
If the death results from an injury received in the execution of duty, the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 give a surviving spouse or civil partner a special pension of 45% of the officer's average pensionable pay a year and a special gratuity. Where certain conditions are met, such as an attack intrinsically likely to cause death, an augmented award pays 50%. These sit alongside the pension scheme's own lump sum and survivor benefits, but only one survivor pension is paid: whichever is greater.
Does a police injury survivor pension stop on remarriage or cohabitation?
Not if the new marriage, civil partnership or cohabitation began on or after 1 April 2015. SI 2015/2057 amended regulation 16 with effect from that date. If the new relationship began before 1 April 2015, payments stopped then, though the police authority may restore the pension at its discretion if that relationship has since ended.
Can an unmarried partner get the special award?
As we read regulation 13, the adult special award is for a surviving spouse or civil partner only. An unmarried partner may qualify for a survivor pension under the 2006 or 2015 pension scheme if they meet that scheme's relationship and cohabitation tests, and the officer's children can still receive children's special allowances, subject to the date rules in regulation 19. Ask the administrator to confirm in writing.
What do children receive if a parent dies from a duty injury?
Each eligible child receives a special allowance of 10% of the officer's average pensionable pay a year while one parent is alive, or 20% if the child has no surviving parent. With five or more children the allowances share 40% (or 80%). Age and education limits apply under regulation 19, and a child's special gratuity can be paid in augmented award cases where there is no adult survivor entitled to a gratuity.
What is the augmented award?
A higher award under regulation 14 where the officer was attacked in a manner intrinsically likely to cause death, was injured while making an arrest or preventing an escape or rescue from custody, or was injured saving life where there was an intrinsic likelihood of a fatal injury. The authority can also apply it if it thinks a condition may be met, or that it would be inequitable not to. It pays 50% of pay and a larger gratuity.
Does this apply if the officer had retired and died from the injury later?
Yes, the regulations apply to a member of a police force who dies or has died as the result of a duty injury, and the 13-week rule expressly covers officers who were receiving an injury pension. Two differences: the larger part of the special gratuity is only paid if the officer died while serving, and the survivor must have been married to the officer, or in a civil partnership, before the officer last left regular service to get the full award.
Do I get both the scheme survivor pension and the special pension?
Normally no. Regulation 27 says a person entitled to more than one survivor award for the same death receives one only: the one they choose, or otherwise the greater. There is an exception where the awards are calculated by reference to different periods of service, which can matter for officers with service in more than one scheme. The lump sum death grant from the pension scheme is separate and is paid as well.
What is the 13-week top-up?
Regulation 28 increases the special pension and any children's allowances for the first 13 weeks, so that together they are not less than the officer's weekly pensionable pay and certain allowances, or the officer's weekly pension if they had retired.
Can I take a lump sum instead of the special pension?
Possibly. Regulation 24 lets the police authority commute an adult survivor's special pension for a gratuity, but only with the survivor's consent and if it is satisfied there are sufficient reasons. The gratuity is 11 times the annual value of the pension commuted, or a larger agreed amount up to its capitalised value. Take independent advice before agreeing, because the pension is index-linked for life.
Does a police survivor pension affect Universal Credit or Bereavement Support Payment?
Bereavement Support Payment is not means-tested, so a survivor pension does not affect it, and DWP guidance says monthly BSP payments are not counted as income for Universal Credit. A police special widow's pension is different: DWP guidance (ADM H5012) counts it as occupational pension income, which reduces Universal Credit.
Who should I contact first?
The force's pensions team or pension administrator, to ask that an injury benefit claim is considered alongside the ordinary death benefits. If the officer was a Police Federation member, the local branch can help. Care of Police Survivors supports families of officers and staff who lost their lives on duty.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 7 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006, Part 2 (legislation.gov.uk, as made) — regs 8, 13 to 23 (survivor, child, dependant and death awards, abatement); regs 24 to 29 (gratuity in lieu, duplication, 13 weeks, pensions increase); regs 30, 34, 36 and 40; Schedule 1 (meaning of child) (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Pensions and Police (Injury Benefit) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/2057) — reg 6 amends reg 16 so special pensions and gratuities are not stopped by a marriage, civil partnership or cohabitation beginning on or after 1 April 2015; regs 3 and 4 amend 1987 regs C9 and C9A; effect from 1 April 2015 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police and Firefighters' Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/997) — reg 12 (reg 13(2A): the 2.25 times ill-health pension limb for 1987, 2006 and 2015 members), reg 14 (2015 death grant deducted from the reg 21 gratuity), regs 17 and 18 (duplication and 13 weeks for 2015 scheme pensions) (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/79) — puts surviving same-sex spouses in the same position under reg 13 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Pensions Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/445), regulations 101 to 104 (ill-health), 134 to 146 (survivors, children), 152 to 161 (death grant, nominations) — 2015 scheme death grant, surviving adult's and children's pensions, as used in our death in service guide and engine (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Home Office written answer to Parliamentary Question 72461, 8 September 2025 (1987 scheme survivor benefits cease on remarriage or cohabitation) — Home Office: 2006 and 2015 scheme survivor benefits are lifelong; 1987 scheme benefits stop on remarriage or cohabitation (secondary reproduction of the answer) (accessed 7 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Bereavement Support Payment — not means-tested; partner's contributions or death caused by an accident at work or work-related disease; rates £3,500 plus 18 x £350 (higher) or £2,500 plus 18 x £100 (lower); claim within 3 months for the full amount, usually within 21 months (accessed 7 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: What to do after someone dies, Tell Us Once — reports a death to most government organisations; use within 28 days of the reference number; available with an interim certificate during an inquest (accessed 7 October 2026)
- DWP, Advice for Decision Making, Chapter H5: unearned income (PDF on GOV.UK) — H5012: police and firefighters' special widow's pension schemes counted as occupational pensions; monthly Bereavement Support Payment is not unearned income for Universal Credit (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2013, regulation 68 — a pension paid to a claimant as a beneficiary on the death of a scheme member is not treated as a pension payment that reduces New Style ESA (accessed 7 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Tax-free and taxable state benefits — Bereavement Support Payment tax-free (accessed 7 October 2026)
- HMRC Employment Income Manual EIM75900 (injury benefit schemes, including police and firefighters) — covers injury benefit paid to a disabled person; it does not address survivors' special awards (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Care of Police Survivors (COPS) — charity supporting the families of police officers and staff who have lost their lives on duty: peer support, counselling support, remembrance (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Care UK (charity, formerly the Police Dependants' Trust) — financial support open to serving and veteran personnel and family members harmed through policing; eligibility criteria on its site (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Federation (Derbyshire branch): new partnership gives officers and families extra bereavement support (10 May 2023) — Oscar Kilo funded Just 'B' bereavement counselling for families after an officer is killed in the line of duty or dies by suicide (as reported in 2023) (accessed 7 October 2026)
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent reference site. This page is general information, not legal, medical or financial advice, and the outcome of any injury award or ill-health retirement decision turns on the medical evidence and the facts of the individual case. Decisions are made by the police pension authority, selected medical practitioners and appeal boards, and the regulations are amended from time to time. Speak to your Police Federation representative or a solicitor about your own case, and your pension administrator about your figures. If you are struggling, speak to your GP or one of the services listed on our support directory; if you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 7 October 2026.