Survivor Benefits
After Retirement
What the police pension schemes pay a husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner or children when a retired officer dies, how the amounts are worked out in the 1987, 2006 and 2015 schemes, and what the family needs to do. Written from the regulations, with the gaps marked.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 1 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
A surviving spouse or civil partner normally receives a pension for life of about half the officer's pension, worked out on each scheme's rules, and eligible children receive their own pensions. Unmarried partners qualify in the 2006 and 2015 schemes after 2 years' cohabitation, but not in the 1987 scheme, where a survivor's pension also stops on remarriage or cohabitation. No lump sum death grant is paid after retirement.
If you are reading this after a death
We are sorry for your loss. This page sets out what the police pension schemes provide and the practical steps, so you can deal with them when you are ready. Nothing here needs doing today except registering the death and letting the pension administrator know. The administrator will guide you through the rest and will tell you which documents it needs.
GOV.UK's bereavement help and support page lists organisations that help with grief and the practical side of a death. If you are an officer planning ahead for your family, the rest of this page is for you too.
Survivor benefits after retirement: the three schemes compared
Most officers who retired recently have pension from more than one scheme, often a 1987 or 2006 part and a 2015 part. Each part pays its own survivor's and children's pensions under its own rules, so the family may receive two pensions from the same administrator. This table is the summary; the sections below give the detail and the regulation numbers.
| 2015 scheme (CARE) | 2006 scheme (NPPS) | 1987 scheme (PPS) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult survivor | Spouse, civil partner or qualifying unmarried partner (regs 134, 135) | Spouse, civil partner or qualifying unmarried partner (reg 40) | Widow, widower or surviving civil partner. No pension for unmarried partners (Home Office guide 5.4) |
| Unmarried partner conditions | Cohabiting in an exclusive, committed, long-term relationship; financially dependent or interdependent; free to marry; at least 2 years' cohabitation (discretion to accept less). No declaration needed since SI 2018/997 | The same conditions, with the signed declaration removed by SI 2018/997 (effective from 6 April 2006) | Not eligible |
| Survivor's pension on the death of a pensioner | 50% of the officer's retirement pension, calculated without the early payment reduction (reg 139) | Half of the annual pension payable to the officer at death (reg 41(2)) | Half of the officer's pension calculated without the commutation or allocation reductions, or a 1/160 formula on post-1978 service if higher (Schedule C Part I). Pre-1972 joiners: depends on up-rating |
| Marriage or partnership after retirement | Counts in full | Counts in full | Pension based only on service after 5 April 1978 (reg C5, Schedule C Part IV) |
| Married or civil partnership less than 6 months before death | Scheme manager may withhold (reg 137(3)-(4)) | Authority may withhold (reg 41(7)) | No equivalent found in the text we read |
| Survivor more than 12 years younger | Reduced by 2.5% for each whole year over 12, at most 50% (reg 142) | Reduced by 2.5% for each year or part year over 12, at most 50% (reg 41(6)) | No equivalent found in the text we read |
| If the survivor remarries, forms a civil partnership or cohabits | Pension continues for life (Home Office 2015 guide) | Pension continues for life (reg 41(2): "payable for life") | Pension stops (reg C9), with discretion to restore if the new relationship ends. Exception where the survivor is entitled to an injury-on-duty special pension and the new relationship began on or after 1 April 2015 (SI 2015/2057) |
| Children's pensions | Each child: 50% of the adult survivor's pension for 1 or 2 children; with 3 or more, the total is shared (reg 146) | Each child: half the adult survivor's pension; with 3 or more, the adult amount divided by the number of children (reg 42) | Child's allowance 18.75% of the officer's pension; total 37.5% for more than two; 25% and 50% for orphans (guide 5.5.1) |
| Lump sum death grant after retirement | None. Paid only for active members (reg 155) | None. Paid only on death in service (reg 46) | None. Paid only on death in service (guide 5.1) |
| Gratuity to the estate | If the officer dies within 2 years of becoming a pensioner (or from a duty injury) and total benefits are less than their contributions (reg 166) | If total benefits are less than the officer's contributions (reg 45) | If total benefits are less than the officer's contributions (reg E3) |
| First 13 weeks | No special rule | No special rule | Survivor's pension topped up so that, with children's allowances, it equals the officer's pension (guide 5.4.4) |
| Annual increases | Yes, from the start, at any age (Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 s.3(1)) | Yes, at any age | Yes, at any age |
Throughout, "survivor's pension" means the pension paid to an adult survivor. Survivors' pensions are payable for each month from the date of death in the 2015 scheme (reg 147), and the Home Office guides say first payments are made as soon as possible once the survivor has been contacted and entitlement established.
2015 scheme: what a survivor receives
Part 9 of the Police Pensions Regulations 2015 covers death benefits. When a pensioner member dies, the surviving adult (spouse, civil partner or qualifying partner) is entitled to a pension for life (reg 137).
- Amount. Regulation 139 sets the survivor's earned pension at 50% of the officer's retirement earned pension "calculated without subtracting the early payment reduction". So if the officer took the pension early with a reduction, the survivor's pension is worked out on the unreduced figure. If the officer had an ill-health pension, the survivor gets 50% of the lower tier and, where paid, 50% of the enhanced upper tier. Added pension bought for "all beneficiaries" also gives a 50% survivor's pension.
- Commutation. The regulation mentions the early payment reduction but not the commutation reduction. The Police Federation's 2026 pensions presentation describes the survivor's pension in retirement as "half of the uncommuted pension". Ask the administrator to confirm the figure for your case.
- Age gap. If the survivor is more than 12 years younger than the officer, the pension is reduced by the lower of 50% and 2.5 x (N - 12)%, where N is the number of whole years' difference (reg 142).
- Recent marriage. The scheme manager may withhold the pension if the marriage or civil partnership was less than 6 months before the death (reg 137(3)-(4)).
- For life. The Home Office's 2015 guide says all adult survivors' pensions are payable for life, whether or not the survivor remarries or forms a new partnership.
- No lump sum. The lump sum death grant is paid only for active members (reg 155). See the lump sums section below for the gratuities that can apply.
2006 scheme: what a survivor receives
Under regulation 39 of the Police Pensions Regulations 2006, when an officer dies while receiving an ordinary, ill-health or deferred pension, an adult survivor and any child survivors are entitled to pensions.
- Amount. Half of the annual pension payable to the officer at the time of death (reg 41(2)), worked out ignoring pensions increases (reg 41(5)) and then increased under the Pensions (Increase) Acts (reg 41(8)). The 2006 scheme paid its lump sum separately at retirement (4/70ths of final pay for each year, reg 28), so commutation does not reduce the pension the survivor's share is based on in the usual case. If a deferred pension had been taken early with an actuarial reduction, the survivor's pension is calculated as if it had not been (reg 33(4)).
- Age gap. Reduced by 2.5% for each year and any part of a year by which the survivor is more than 12 years younger, up to 50% (reg 41(6)).
- Recent marriage. The authority may withhold the pension if the marriage or civil partnership was formed within 6 months before the death (reg 41(7)).
- For life. Regulation 41(2) makes the pension "payable for life"; we found no provision ending it on remarriage or cohabitation, and the Home Office has said the 2006 and 2015 schemes pay survivors for life including those who remarry or cohabit.
1987 scheme: widows', widowers' and civil partners' pensions
The 1987 regulations were written in terms of widows and later extended. legislation.gov.uk does not hold them in fully revised form, so we use the regulations as published together with the Home Office's 1987 members' guide (2006). The main rules:
- Who. A widow, widower or surviving civil partner. The guide says adult survivors do not include cohabitees who were not married or in a civil partnership, and a former spouse is not eligible.
- Amount. The guide says that if the officer joined after 1 April 1972 the survivor gets a half-rate pension: "half of the officer's gross pension, before commutation". Schedule C Part I confirms the half is calculated without the commutation or allocation reductions, and pays a figure based on 1/160 of average pensionable pay for each year of service after 5 April 1978 if that is higher. For officers who joined before April 1972, the pension depends on whether the officer up-rated pre-1972 service. The officer needs at least 3 years' pensionable service (reg C1).
- Post-retirement marriage. A widow married after the officer retired gets a pension based only on service after 5 April 1978 (reg C5, Schedule C Part IV; guide 5.4.1).
- Widowers and civil partners. The 2006 guide says widowers' pensions are a standard entitlement only for service after 16 May 1990 (service from 6 April 1988 giving only a guaranteed minimum pension), and civil partners' only for service after 5 April 1988. Court decisions since then on survivor benefits for widowers and same-sex partners have led to changes in other public service schemes; we could not confirm the current position in the police 1987 scheme, so ask the administrator.
- First 13 weeks. The survivor's pension is increased for the first 13 weeks so that, with any children's allowances, it equals the officer's weekly pension (guide 5.4.4).
- Allocation. Some 1987 officers allocated part of their pension to a spouse or dependant at retirement (reg B9). An allocated pension is paid to that person in addition. The 2006 guide said allocation was under review; existing allocations were not affected.
Regulation C9 stops a 1987 survivor's pension if the survivor remarries, forms a civil partnership or lives with someone as a couple. The guide says it may be restored, at the authority's discretion, if that relationship ends. SI 2015/2057 disapplies the rule for a new relationship beginning on or after 1 April 2015 where the survivor is entitled to a special pension because the officer died from an injury on duty (Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006, regs 13 and 14). In a written answer on 18 May 2026 the Home Office said the 1987 scheme is closed and there are no plans to make further improvements to benefits accrued in it. That is the position as at 1 October 2026.
Unmarried partners, later marriages and the 6-month rule
"Does my police pension go to my partner if we are not married?" is one of the most common questions. The answer depends entirely on the scheme.
- 2015 and 2006 schemes. A surviving partner qualifies if they satisfy the scheme that, at the date of death, the two of them were cohabiting as partners in an exclusive, committed, long-term relationship; the partner was financially dependent on the officer or they were financially interdependent; the officer was free to marry them or form a civil partnership with them; and they had lived together for at least 2 years (2015 reg 135; 2006 reg 40). The scheme can accept a shorter period if satisfied they would have reached 2 years had the officer not died.
- No declaration needed. The Police and Firefighters' Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2018 removed the requirement for a signed joint declaration from both schemes; for the 2006 scheme the change has effect from 6 April 2006. Older Home Office guides and some forms still describe a "declared partner". The conditions still apply and the partner still has to make a claim, so keeping evidence of a shared home and finances helps.
- Still married to someone else. Because the officer must have been free to marry the partner, a partner whose officer was still legally married to someone else would not meet the condition, and a separated (not divorced) spouse remains the spouse.
- 1987 scheme. No survivor's pension for unmarried partners.
- Marriage after retirement. Counts in full in the 2006 and 2015 schemes. In the 1987 scheme it gives a pension based on post-5 April 1978 service only, and children of that marriage are not eligible for allowances.
Our death in service guide covers partners for officers who are still serving.
Children's pensions
Children's pensions are paid in addition to any adult survivor's pension. In the 2015 scheme a child's pension under 18 is paid to the adult survivor if the child is in their care (reg 147(4)), and must be used for the child's benefit.
| 2015 scheme | 2006 scheme | 1987 scheme | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who counts | Natural children (including born after the death), adopted children, stepchildren, and any child substantially dependent on the officer (reg 144(2)) | Natural, step and adopted children, and any child substantially dependent on the officer (reg 40(1)(b)) | Children of a marriage before retirement, children adopted before retirement, stepchildren of a pre-retirement marriage who are dependent; not children of a marriage that took place in retirement (guide 5.5, reg D5) |
| Normal age limit | 18 or under (reg 144(3)(a)); the Home Office guide puts it as until 19 | Until 19 (reg 42(6)(c)) | Under 16 in all cases; from 16 mainly if in full-time education or training, or disabled and dependent; pensions starting from 6 April 2006 end at 23 unless the child was dependent because of disability (guide 5.5) |
| Full-time education | Under 23, course of at least a year (reg 144(3)(b)) | Until 23 or the end of full-time education (reg 42(6)(b)) | Up to 23 (guide 5.5) |
| Disability | For life if dependent on the officer because of a likely permanent impairment that prevents regular employment (reg 144(3)(d)) | For life if dependent on the officer by reason of permanent disablement (reg 42(6)(a)) | Can continue if dependent by reason of disability at the date of death (guide 5.5) |
| Earnings | No reduction found | Reduced if the child is in paid training or work above a set rate (reg 42(3)-(5)) | Rules for paid training apply (reg D5(6), Schedule D Part IV) |
Amounts. In the 2015 scheme each child's pension is 50% of the corresponding adult survivor's pension where there are one or two children, worked out before any age-gap reduction and whether or not an adult pension is actually paid (reg 146). With three or more, the Home Office guide's example divides 50% of the officer's pension by the number of children. The 2006 scheme gives each child half the adult pension, and with three or more divides the adult pension by the number of children (reg 42(1)). In the 1987 scheme a child's allowance is 18.75% of the officer's pension, with a total of 37.5% where more than two are payable, rising to 25% and 50% where the child is an orphan (guide 5.5.1).
Lump sums and gratuities after retirement
Families often expect a lump sum. Once an officer has retired, none of the schemes pays a lump sum death grant: that is a death in service benefit (3 times final pay in the 2015 scheme, 3 times in the 2006 scheme and 2 times in the 1987 scheme). What can be paid after retirement is smaller and narrower:
Illustrative examples: how much a survivor would receive
A retired officer has a 2015 scheme pension of £16,000 a year, taken at normal pension age without commuting any of it. Their spouse is 15 years younger, and they have one child aged 16. The full survivor's pension would be 50% of £16,000 = £8,000. Because the spouse is 3 years beyond the 12-year line, it is reduced by 7.5%, to about £7,400 a year. The child's pension is 50% of the unreduced survivor's pension, £4,000 a year, while the child remains eligible.
A retired officer has a 2006 scheme pension of £18,000 a year. Their spouse would get half, £9,000 a year, for life. With one or two eligible children, each child would get £4,500 a year; with three, each would get £9,000 divided by three, £3,000 a year.
An officer who joined in 1976 retired after 30 years with a gross 1987 pension of £30,000 a year, commuting part of it so that £22,000 is paid. A spouse married before retirement would get half of the gross figure, not of the reduced one: £15,000 a year. If instead the marriage took place after retirement, and 28 of the 30 years were after 5 April 1978, the pension would be based on that share: about £14,000 a year. Either pension would stop if the survivor remarried or lived with a new partner, unless the officer had died from an injury on duty.
These are round numbers to show the method, before tax and before the annual increase. Real calculations can include guaranteed minimum pension rules, added pension, pension sharing debits and McCloud remedy choices, so the administrator's figure is the one that counts.
If you are retired or close to it, the survivor's pension is a share of your own pension. Our free pension calculator estimates your pension by scheme, which is the starting point for that share. If you are still serving, the protection gap calculator shows what the scheme would pay your family if you died in service, which is a different and larger package.
What the family needs to do, step by step
| When | What to do | Who |
|---|---|---|
| First days | Register the death once the medical examiner's office confirms you can (within 5 days of that confirmation in England and Wales) | Register office |
| As soon as you can | Tell the police pension administrator directly: membership or National Insurance number, date of death, your relationship, and whether there is a surviving spouse, partner or dependent children | You or the executor |
| Within 28 days of getting the reference | Use Tell Us Once for HMRC, DWP and councils. Its list of pension schemes does not include the police schemes in England and Wales, so it does not replace the call to the administrator | Registrar or GOV.UK |
| When the administrator asks | Send the certificates it asks for. Unmarried partners must make a written claim and show the relationship conditions were met | Survivor |
| Within 3 months of the death | Check Bereavement Support Payment: claiming within 3 months gets the full amount | Surviving partner, via DWP |
| Once the survivor's pension is set up | Check the amount, the tax code and how any overpayment of the officer's pension is being dealt with | Survivor and executor |
- Find the administrator. The officer's annual statement, P60 or pension payslip names it. It may be the force itself or a provider such as LPPA, XPS or a county council pensions team.
- Tell them directly. Tell Us Once notifies HMRC, DWP and councils and some public sector pension schemes, but its list does not include the police schemes in England and Wales. The Metropolitan Police scheme's administrator, for example, asks for the date of death, your relationship and contact details, and whether there is a surviving spouse or dependent children.
- Send the documents asked for. The administrator will request certificates and return originals. An unmarried partner in the 2006 or 2015 scheme must make a claim and satisfy the scheme of the relationship conditions.
- Overpayments. The Home Office guides say police pensions are paid in advance, usually monthly, so the last payment may cover days after the death. The Met's administrator says it will suspend payments, advise of any overpayment and set up dependants' pensions. Ask how any overpayment will be recovered before the estate is distributed.
- Check state support. A surviving spouse, civil partner or (with conditions) cohabiting partner who was under State Pension age when the partner died may get Bereavement Support Payment: up to £3,500 plus 18 monthly payments of £350 at the higher rate, or £2,500 plus £100 a month at the lower rate, if the National Insurance conditions are met. GOV.UK says to claim within 3 months for the full amount.
- Check the first survivor's payment. Compare it with the written calculation, and check the tax code HMRC has issued for it.
Officers planning ahead can make this easier: keep a note of the administrator, your membership number and where your marriage, civil partnership and children's birth certificates are; and if you have an unmarried partner, keep evidence of your shared home and finances. Our retirement checklist includes this.
Tax and annual increases on survivors' pensions
Tax. GOV.UK's table on inherited pensions says a pension provided by a defined benefit scheme to a dependant has Income Tax deducted by the provider, whatever the age of the person who died. It is the survivor's own taxable income, added to their earnings, State Pension and any other pensions, with its own tax code. A child's pension is the child's income for tax. Lump sums are treated differently: GOV.UK says most lump sums are not taxed if the person died under 75, unless they exceed the lump sum and death benefit allowance (£1,073,100). For how pension tax codes work, see tax on your police pension in retirement.
Increases. A survivor's pension is a "derivative" pension. Section 3(1) of the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 takes derivative pensions outside the rule that stops increases on a pensioner's own pension before age 55, so survivors' and children's pensions are increased every April regardless of age. The 2006 and 2015 regulations work out the survivor's starting figure ignoring increases the officer had received, and then apply pensions increase to the survivor's pension (2006 reg 41(5) and (8); 2015 reg 139(6)). How the April figure is set is in our police pension increase 2027 guide.
Divorce, dissolution and pension sharing
- A former spouse is not a survivor. Each scheme pays the person who was the spouse, civil partner or qualifying partner at the date of death. The Home Office 1987 guide says a former spouse or civil partner is not eligible for an adult survivor's pension.
- Pension sharing reduces the survivor's pension. If the officer's pension was shared on divorce, a later survivor's pension is worked out on the reduced rights (2015 reg 138; 2006 reg 41(4)). Children's pensions ignore the reduction (2015 reg 146(6); 2006 reg 42(2)).
- The ex-spouse's own pension. A former spouse with a pension credit has their own pension in the scheme, which is not affected by the officer's death.
- Separated but not divorced. A separated spouse is still the spouse. Rules on court-ordered separation apply to the in-service death grant, not to retired officers.
For how police pensions are dealt with on divorce, see police pensions and divorce. Get legal advice on your own case.
Death in service and death after retirement: the difference
The schemes treat a death while serving very differently from a death after retirement, and many family members have heard the in-service figures. In service, the 2006 and 2015 schemes pay a lump sum death grant of 3 or 3 times pay (2 times in the 1987 scheme), and the survivor's pension is based on the ill-health pension the officer would have received with an enhancement for lost future service. After retirement there is no death grant, and the survivor's pension is a share of the pension the officer actually had. Our death in service guide explains the in-service package.
What to ask the pension administrator
| Ask | Who | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| A written calculation of each survivor's and child's pension, scheme by scheme | Pension administrator | Most retired officers have more than one scheme, each with its own rules |
| Which pension figure the survivor's pension is based on (before or after commutation and early payment reduction) | Pension administrator | The rules differ by scheme; see the comparison table |
| Whether any gratuity is payable to the estate or a dependant | Pension administrator | Gratuities only arise in some cases and some are discretionary |
| How any overpayment of the officer's pension after the date of death will be dealt with | Pension administrator and executor | Police pensions are paid monthly in advance, so the last payment can cover days after death |
| Whether a guaranteed minimum pension applies to the survivor | Pension administrator | The schemes contain guaranteed minimum pension rules for surviving spouses and civil partners in some cases |
| Whether a survivor's award under the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations applies | Pension administrator | If the death was caused by a duty injury, the survivor is paid the greater of the two awards, not both |
| What happens to the survivor's 1987 pension if they later live with someone | Pension administrator | 1987 survivors' pensions stop on remarriage or cohabitation, except where the survivor has an injury-on-duty special pension and the new relationship began on or after 1 April 2015 |
| Tax code for the survivor's pension | HMRC | The survivor's pension is the survivor's taxable income |
Who can help: the pension administrator for figures and claims; NARPO, which supports retired officers and their families; a solicitor for estates and disputes over partners; an FCA-authorised financial adviser for wider planning; and MoneyHelper for free guidance on money after a death.
What people get wrong about police survivor benefits
What we could not verify, and how we handled it
- 2015 scheme and commutation. Regulation 139 mentions only the early payment reduction. The Police Federation says the survivor's pension is half the uncommuted pension. We give both and say ask the administrator.
- A fully revised 1987 text. legislation.gov.uk does not hold the 1987 regulations in revised form. We relied on the regulations as published, the Home Office 2006 guide and the 2015 amending regulations.
- 1987 widowers and civil partners. The 2006 guide limits the service that counts. We could not confirm whether later equal-treatment changes in other public service schemes have been applied to the police 1987 scheme. Ask the administrator.
- 1987 age-gap or recent-marriage rules. We found none in the text we read, but because that text is not fully revised we do not say there are none.
- Children's pensions with three or more children in the 2015 scheme. The formula in regulation 146(5) did not reproduce in the legislation.gov.uk text; we use the Home Office guide's worked example.
- Documents and timescales. Administrators set their own processes. We describe one (the Met's) and say the administrator will tell you what it needs.
- Overpayment recovery. We could not find a national rule on how an overpayment after death is recovered. Ask the administrator.
- Legislation.gov.uk and the 2006 partner rule. Its version of 2006 reg 40 still shows the old declaration; SI 2018/997 removed it with effect from 6 April 2006.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their police schemes have their own regulations and different survivor rules; this page is for England and Wales.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a police widow's pension?
Usually half of the officer's pension, worked out on that scheme's rules. In the 2015 scheme it is 50% of the retirement pension without any early payment reduction (reg 139); in the 2006 scheme half the annual pension payable at death (reg 41); in the 1987 scheme half the officer's pension calculated without the commutation reduction, for officers who joined after 1 April 1972. Ask the administrator for the exact figure.
Does a police pension pass to my spouse when I die?
Yes. In all three schemes a surviving spouse or civil partner is normally entitled to a pension for life if you die while drawing your pension. It is a separate survivor's pension, usually half of yours, not a continuation of your own pension. Marriages within 6 months of death can be withheld in the 2006 and 2015 schemes, and 1987 post-retirement marriages count only service after 5 April 1978.
Does a police pension pay out to an unmarried partner?
In the 2006 and 2015 schemes, yes, if your partner shows you lived together for at least 2 years in an exclusive, committed relationship, were financially dependent or interdependent, and were free to marry. Since SI 2018/997 no signed declaration is needed. The 1987 scheme pays no survivor's pension to unmarried partners.
Is there a lump sum when a retired police officer dies?
No lump sum death grant is paid once an officer has retired: in all three schemes the death grant is for deaths in service. A gratuity can be paid to the estate if the pension and other benefits paid add up to less than the officer's own contributions (in the 2015 scheme only if death is within 2 years of retiring or from a duty injury).
Do police widows lose their pension if they remarry?
Only in the 1987 scheme. Regulation C9 stops a 1987 survivor's pension on remarriage, a new civil partnership or cohabitation, with discretion to restore it if that relationship ends. That does not apply to a new marriage, civil partnership or cohabitation beginning on or after 1 April 2015 where the survivor is entitled to an injury-on-duty special pension (SI 2015/2057). The 2006 and 2015 schemes pay for life whatever the survivor does.
Is the government changing the 1987 police widows' remarriage rule?
Not as far as we can find. In a written answer on 18 May 2026 (question 1057) the Home Office said the 1987 scheme is closed and there are no plans to make further improvements to benefits accrued in it, other than the 2015 change for survivors of officers who died as a result of an injury on duty.
We married after I retired. Does my spouse get a police pension?
In the 2006 and 2015 schemes, yes, on the same basis as any spouse, though a marriage less than 6 months before death can be withheld. In the 1987 scheme a widow, widower or civil partner of a post-retirement marriage gets a pension based only on service after 5 April 1978, and children of that marriage are not eligible for children's allowances.
What do children get when a retired police officer dies?
In the 2015 and 2006 schemes each child normally gets half of the adult survivor's pension, shared if there are three or more children, usually until 19 or 23 in full-time education, and for life in some disability cases. In the 1987 scheme a child's allowance is 18.75% of the officer's pension, more for orphans.
Does commutation reduce a police widow's pension?
Not in the 1987 scheme: Schedule C says the pension is worked out ignoring the commutation reduction. The 2006 scheme pays a separate lump sum rather than commuting pension. For the 2015 scheme, regulation 139 says the early payment reduction is ignored; the Police Federation describes the survivor's pension as half the uncommuted pension. Ask the administrator to confirm your figure.
Is a police widow's pension taxable?
Yes. GOV.UK says a pension paid by a defined benefit scheme to a dependant is taxed, with Income Tax deducted by the provider, whatever age the member died. It counts as the survivor's own income under their own tax code. A child's pension is the child's income.
Does a police widow's pension go up each year?
Yes. Survivors' pensions are "derivative" pensions under the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971, and section 3(1) exempts them from the rule that stops increases before 55. So they rise each April from the start, whatever the survivor's age. Our 2027 increase guide explains how the figure is set.
What does the family need to do when a retired officer dies?
Register the death, then tell the police pension administrator directly: Tell Us Once does not list the police schemes in England and Wales. The administrator will suspend the pension, ask for certificates, tell you about any overpayment and set up survivors' and children's pensions. Unmarried partners must make a written claim.
Does an ex-spouse get a police survivor's pension after divorce?
No. Each scheme pays the survivor's pension to the person who was the officer's spouse, civil partner or qualifying partner at the date of death. A former spouse with a pension sharing order has their own pension credit instead. A pension share also reduces the survivor's pension paid to a later spouse.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 1 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 Pensions Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/445), Part 9 (death benefits), latest version — regs 134 to 167: surviving adults and partners, 50% on death of a pensioner, age gap, children, no death grant for pensioners, gratuities, duplication (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police Pensions Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/3415), regulations 39 to 50 — survivors, half the pension payable at death, age gap, 6-month marriages, children, gratuities, death grant only in service. legislation.gov.uk's reg 40 does not yet show the 2018 amendment (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police and Firefighters' Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/997), regulation 4 — removed the signed partner declaration from 2006 reg 40, with effect from 6 April 2006 (2015 reg 135 amended in the same instrument) (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police Pensions Regulations 1987 (SI 1987/257), Parts C, D and E and Schedules C and D (legislation.gov.uk, not fully revised) — widow's ordinary pension (half the pension ignoring commutation), post-retirement marriage, remarriage rule C9, children's allowances, gratuities (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police Pensions and Police (Injury Benefit) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/2057) — 1987 survivors entitled to an injury-on-duty special pension keep their pension on a marriage, civil partnership or cohabitation beginning on or after 1 April 2015 (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Home Office: The Police Pension Scheme 1987 members' guide (October 2006) — sections 5 and 12: survivors, post-retirement marriage, widowers and civil partners, children, 13-week rule, pensions paid in advance (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Home Office: The Police Pensions Scheme 2015 members' guide (updated 10 November 2017) — section 10: survivors' pensions for life whatever the survivor does; children's examples; death gratuities. Its partner declaration text predates SI 2018/997 (accessed 1 October 2026)
- UK Parliament: written answer to question 1057, Home Office, 18 May 2026 — no plans to change 1987 survivor benefits; the 2015 on-duty exception (accessed 1 October 2026)
- UK Parliament: written answer to question 72461, Home Office, 8 September 2025 — 1987 survivor benefits cease on remarriage or cohabitation; 2006 and 2015 schemes pay for life (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Pensions (Increase) Act 1971, section 3 — derivative pensions are increased without the age-55 condition (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police Federation of England and Wales: Police pensions, 2015 scheme presentation (2026) — describes the 2015 survivor's pension in retirement as half the uncommuted pension (accessed 1 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Tax on a private pension you inherit — a pension paid by a defined benefit scheme to a dependant has Income Tax deducted at any age; lump sum rules (accessed 1 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: What to do after someone dies, and Tell Us Once — registering a death; Tell Us Once and the pension schemes it notifies (accessed 1 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Bereavement Support Payment — eligibility (under State Pension age when the partner died), amounts, claim within 3 months for the full amount (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police pension scheme administrator: reporting the death of a member — one administrator's process: suspend payments, advise of overpayments, set up dependants' pensions (accessed 1 October 2026)
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PolicePay.co.uk is an independent reference site. It is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and this page is general information, not financial, tax or pension advice, and it cannot consider your personal circumstances. Pension and tax rules change and depend on your scheme, service and tax position: check your pension administrator's statement and, where sums are large or decisions hard to reverse, speak to an FCA-authorised adviser, Pension Wise (free guidance for defined contribution pensions only) or HMRC. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 1 October 2026.