# Pensions and benefits after a death: what stops and what you can claim

> When someone dies, their State Pension and benefits stop, and any overpayment can be recovered from their estate. Report the death through Tell Us Once or the DWP Bereavement Service, then contact any workplace or private pension schemes yourself. A surviving husband, wife or civil partner may inherit some State Pension and may qualify for other help.

Source: https://funeralfinder.org/uk/guides/pensions-and-benefits-after-a-death/ — updated 2026-09-26 — FuneralFinder

When someone dies, their pensions and benefits have to be sorted out, and yours may change too. Some of this happens once you report the death; the rest you have to chase yourself. This guide explains what stops, what can be passed on, how to find pensions and what a surviving partner can claim.

## Key points

- **State Pension and benefits stop** once DWP knows about the death. Overpayments can be **recovered from the estate**.
- **Tell Us Once** reports the death to DWP, HMRC, the council and some public sector pension schemes. It **isn't available in Northern Ireland**.
- You must **contact most workplace and private pension schemes yourself**.
- Only a **husband, wife or civil partner** can inherit State Pension, and the rules depend on dates.
- Scheme trustees usually decide who gets a **pension lump sum**, guided by the person's **expression of wish**.
- A survivor may be able to claim **Bereavement Support Payment**, more **Pension Credit** or a **Council Tax discount**.

## Step 1: report the death

**England, Scotland and Wales.** When you register the death, the registrar will usually offer **Tell Us Once**. You must use the reference number within 28 days. It tells:

- **DWP**, to stop benefits and State Pension
- **HMRC**, about personal tax and benefits such as Child Benefit
- the **local council**, including Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction
- **Social Security Scotland**, for Scottish benefits
- some **public sector pension schemes**: the Armed Forces, Civil Service, Local Government and NHS schemes in England and Wales, the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme, and the Scottish Public Pensions Agency schemes

See our [Tell Us Once guide](/uk/guides/tell-us-once/). If you can't use it, call the **DWP Bereavement Service** on **0800 151 2012**.

**Northern Ireland.** Tell Us Once isn't available. Call the Department for Communities' **Bereavement Service** on **0800 085 2463**. nidirect says it records the death, tells any benefit office that paid the person and checks what financial support you might get. Tell **Land and Property Services** if the person paid rates or got help with them.

## What happens to the State Pension

The State Pension **stops** when DWP is told about the death.

- **Overpayments.** If a payment arrived after the death, DWP Debt Management will contact the next of kin, the bank or whoever is dealing with the estate. DWP can also recover older benefit overpayments from the estate. **Don't share out the estate** until you know whether anything must be repaid, or you may have to pay it yourself. See [dealing with debts after a death](/uk/guides/dealing-with-debts-after-a-death/).
- **Underpayments.** DWP has found that some married, widowed and older pensioners were underpaid. If you're the next of kin or executor and think this applies, you can ask DWP to check.

## Inheriting State Pension from a husband, wife or civil partner

Only **husbands, wives and civil partners** can inherit State Pension. What's possible depends on when you each reached State Pension age.

| Your situation | What you may be able to get |
|---|---|
| **You reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016** | Use your partner's National Insurance record to **increase your basic State Pension**, if you don't already get the full amount. You may also inherit part of their **Additional State Pension** or **Graduated Retirement Benefit** |
| **You reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016** (new State Pension) | If your marriage or civil partnership began before 6 April 2016, you may inherit part of their **Additional State Pension** (if they reached State Pension age or died before 6 April 2016) or **half of their protected payment** (if they reached State Pension age or died on or after that date) |
| **Your partner had deferred their State Pension** | You may get their **extra State Pension**, or in some cases a **lump sum**, if they reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 and you were still married when they died |

Some important limits:

- For **Additional State Pension**, you can inherit **up to 50%** of their State Second Pension. How much of any SERPS pension you can inherit depends on their date of birth.
- On the new State Pension, you **can't inherit anything if you remarry** or form a new civil partnership before reaching State Pension age.
- If you're **under State Pension age**, you may be able to claim [Bereavement Support Payment](/uk/guides/bereavement-support-payment/) instead.

**Contact the Pension Service** on **0800 731 0469** to check what you can claim. In Northern Ireland, the same rules apply through the **Northern Ireland Pension Centre**.

## Workplace and personal pensions

Tell Us Once doesn't contact most private schemes, so contact each one yourself, **as soon as possible**. GOV.UK warns that if the person was receiving payments, telling the scheme quickly helps avoid repayments later.

### Finding their pensions

Check their post, bank statements, payslips and P60s. If you know an employer's or provider's name, the **Pension Tracing Service** (0800 731 0175, or online) can give you the scheme's contact details. It **can't** tell you whether a pension exists or what it's worth.

### What a scheme might pay

It depends on the scheme's rules and the type of pension.

- **Defined benefit** (final salary or career average) schemes may pay a **pension to a dependant**, such as a husband, wife, civil partner or child under 23, and sometimes a **lump sum**. Some schemes' rules allow payments to other people.
- **Defined contribution** pots can usually be paid out as a **lump sum**, or used to provide **income** through drawdown or an annuity.
- If they had **bought an annuity**, check whether it included a partner's pension or a guarantee period.
- If they died while working, their employer's scheme may pay a **death in service** lump sum.

### Who decides: nominations and expression of wish forms

Members are usually asked to say who they'd like to receive their pension, often on an **expression of wish** or **nomination** form. The Pensions Ombudsman explains that, in most schemes, **lump sums are paid at the trustees' discretion**. Trustees aren't generally required to follow the person's wishes, even if they left a nomination form, and they can only pay people who fall within the scheme's rules. The decision can take time.

If you disagree with a decision, use the scheme's complaints process first. You can then complain to **The Pensions Ombudsman**, which checks that the right process was followed.

### Tax on inherited pensions

| Age of the person who died | Most lump sums | Income, such as drawdown or annuity |
|---|---|---|
| **Under 75** | Usually no tax, if paid within 2 years of the scheme being told and within their lump sum and death benefit allowance | Usually no tax from a pot set up since 6 April 2015 |
| **75 or over** | Income Tax deducted by the scheme | Income Tax deducted by the scheme |

A pension paid by the scheme itself, such as a dependant's pension, is taxed as income at any age.

**Inheritance Tax.** At present, pension lump sums usually aren't subject to Inheritance Tax because the scheme has discretion over who gets them. The government has confirmed that **from 6 April 2027**, most **unused pension funds and death benefits** will count as part of the estate for Inheritance Tax. Death in service benefits are excluded, and the existing exemptions for a surviving spouse or civil partner and for charities continue. Executors will be responsible for reporting and paying any tax.

It's a good moment to check your own nominations too. For England and Wales, SwiftWill explains how [life insurance, pensions and your will](https://swiftwill.co.uk/life-insurance-and-pensions-and-your-will/) fit together.

## Benefits the surviving partner may be able to claim

| Benefit | What to do |
|---|---|
| **Bereavement Support Payment** | If you were under State Pension age, claim within 3 months for the full amount. See [Bereavement Support Payment](/uk/guides/bereavement-support-payment/) |
| **Pension Credit** | If your partner was on your claim, report the death to the Pension Service. Your award will be recalculated, and if your income has dropped you may now qualify |
| **Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction** | Report the change. Your award will be reassessed |
| **Child Benefit** | If your partner was the claimant, make a new claim in your own name |
| **Carer's Allowance** | Tell DWP if the person you cared for has died. In Scotland, tell Social Security Scotland if you get Carer Support Payment |
| **Guardian's Allowance** | If you're bringing up a child whose parents have died |
| **Funeral help** | If you're on certain benefits. See [help paying for a funeral](/uk/guides/help-paying-for-a-funeral/) |

## Council Tax and rates

**If you now live alone.** You can usually get **25% off** your Council Tax in England and Wales if you're the only adult in the home. Scotland has a similar **single adult discount**. Ask your council.

**If the home is now empty.** In England, GOV.UK says you don't need to pay Council Tax on the home of someone who has died **until probate is granted**, as long as it stays empty. After probate, the exemption can continue for **up to 6 months** if the home is still unoccupied and in the person's name. In Scotland, the exemption depends on when **confirmation** is granted. Wales has its own rules, so check with the council. See [clearing a home after a death](/uk/guides/clearing-a-home-after-a-death/).

**Northern Ireland** has **domestic rates** instead of Council Tax. Tell Land and Property Services about the death. If you're **70 or over and now live alone**, you may qualify for **Lone Pensioner Allowance**, a 20% discount.

## Where to get help

- **DWP Bereavement Service:** 0800 151 2012 (England, Scotland and Wales)
- **Bereavement Service (Northern Ireland):** 0800 085 2463
- **Pension Service:** 0800 731 0469
- **Pension Tracing Service:** 0800 731 0175
- **Citizens Advice** or **Advice NI**, for a free benefits check and money advice
- Keep track of every task with our [when someone dies checklist](/uk/tools/when-someone-dies-checklist/), and see [do I need probate?](/uk/guides/do-i-need-probate/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Does State Pension stop when someone dies?

Yes. Once DWP is told about the death, through Tell Us Once or the Bereavement Service, the State Pension and any benefits stop. If payments arrived after the death, DWP Debt Management will contact the next of kin, the bank or whoever is dealing with the estate to recover them.

### Can I inherit my husband's, wife's or civil partner's State Pension?

Possibly. What you can inherit depends on when you both reached State Pension age, when you married, and whether they deferred their pension. It might be extra basic State Pension, part of their Additional State Pension, half of a protected payment or extra pension from deferral. Contact the Pension Service to check.

### Can an unmarried partner inherit State Pension?

No. The State Pension inheritance rules only apply to husbands, wives and civil partners. A workplace or personal pension may still pay out to an unmarried partner, depending on the scheme's rules and who the person nominated, so contact each scheme.

### How do I find out if the person had a workplace pension?

Look through their paperwork, bank statements and old payslips for pension scheme names. If you know the name of an employer or pension provider, the free Pension Tracing Service can give you the scheme's contact details. It can't tell you whether a pension exists or how much it's worth.

### Is a pension lump sum taxed?

If the person died before 75, most lump sums are tax-free, as long as they're paid within two years of the scheme being told and are within the person's lump sum and death benefit allowance. If they died at 75 or over, the scheme deducts Income Tax. Rules on Inheritance Tax for pensions change from 6 April 2027.

### Will my Council Tax change after my partner dies?

If you now live alone as the only adult, you can usually get a 25% single person discount in England and Wales, or a single adult discount in Scotland. Contact your council. In Northern Ireland, which has rates instead, you may get a 20% Lone Pensioner Allowance if you're 70 or over and live alone.

## Sources

- [GOV.UK – Tell Us Once](https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once)
- [GOV.UK – Report the death without a Tell Us Once reference number](https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/report-without-tell-us-once)
- [GOV.UK – Benefit overpayments: repayments when someone has died](https://www.gov.uk/benefit-overpayments/repayments-when-someone-has-died)
- [GOV.UK – Request information about underpaid State Pension for someone who has died](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/request-information-about-underpaid-state-pension-for-someone-who-has-died)
- [GOV.UK – The basic State Pension: increasing or inheriting from your spouse or civil partner](https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/inheritance-spouse-civil-partner)
- [GOV.UK – The new State Pension: inheriting or increasing State Pension from a spouse or civil partner](https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/inheriting-or-increasing-state-pension-from-a-spouse-or-civil-partner)
- [GOV.UK – Additional State Pension: inheriting](https://www.gov.uk/additional-state-pension/inheriting)
- [GOV.UK – Find pension contact details (Pension Tracing Service)](https://www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details)
- [GOV.UK – Tax on a private pension you inherit](https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-pension-death-benefits)
- [GOV.UK – Inheritance Tax: unused pension funds and death benefits](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inheritance-tax-unused-pension-funds-and-death-benefits/inheritance-tax-unused-pension-funds-and-death-benefits)
- [The Pensions Ombudsman – Death benefit lump sums](https://www.pensions-ombudsman.org.uk/death-benefit-lump-sums)
- [GOV.UK – Pension Credit: report a change of circumstances](https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/change-of-circumstances)
- [GOV.UK – How Council Tax works: who has to pay](https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/who-has-to-pay)
- [GOV.UK – How Council Tax works: second homes and empty properties](https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/second-homes-and-empty-properties)
- [GOV.WALES – Council Tax discounts, disregards, exemptions and reductions](https://www.gov.wales/council-tax-discounts-disregards-exemptions-and-reductions)
- [mygov.scot – Council Tax discounts, exemptions and reductions](https://www.mygov.scot/council-tax/discounts-exemptions-and-reductions)
- [mygov.scot – Council Tax for empty and second homes](https://www.mygov.scot/council-tax/empty-and-second-homes)
- [mygov.scot – Benefits and help with money after someone dies](https://www.mygov.scot/bereavement-benefits)
- [nidirect – Who to tell about a death](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/who-tell-about-death)
- [nidirect – Inheriting basic State Pension](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/inheriting-basic-state-pension)
- [nidirect – Inheriting new State Pension](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/inheriting-new-state-pension)
- [nidirect – Lone Pensioner Allowance](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/lone-pensioner-allowance)
- [Department for Communities – Bereavement Service](https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/contacts/bereavement-service)