The National Health Service Superannuation Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2011

Surviving nominated partner’s pension

This section has no associated Executive Note

G14.—(1) A member whose pensionable employment ceases on or after 1st April 2008 may, by giving notice in writing to the Scottish Ministers, nominate a person (“the nominated partner”) to receive a surviving nominated partner pension on the member’s death and such a nomination is effective from the date the Scottish Ministers accept it.

(2) The Scottish Ministers must accept a member’s nomination if—

(a)the member and the nominated partner have jointly made and signed a declaration in the form required by the Scottish Ministers that remains effective at the member’s death; and

(b)the nominated partner satisfies the Scottish Ministers that for a continuous period of at least two years ending with the member’s death—

(i)the member and the nominated partner were living together as if they were husband and wife or civil partners;

(ii)the member and the nominated partner were not prevented from marrying or entering into a civil partnership;

(iii)the member and the nominated partner were financially interdependent or the nominated partner was financially dependent on the member; and

(iv)neither the member nor the nominated partner was living with a third person as if they were husband and wife or as if they were civil partners.

(3) A declaration under paragraph (2)(a) ceases to have effect if—

(a)it is revoked by the member or the nominated partner by a signed notice in writing given to the Scottish Ministers in the required form (if any);

(b)the member makes a later declaration under paragraph (2)(a); or

(c)the member or the nominated partner marries or enters into a civil partnership.

(4) If the Scottish Ministers have accepted a member’s nomination and the member subsequently dies before the member’s nominated partner in the circumstances described in any of regulations G2 to G6, the nominated partner is entitled to a pension as described in paragraphs (6) to (10) of this regulation.

(5) Subject to paragraph (6), regulations G1 to G6 apply to the calculation and payment of pensions for nominated partners in the same manner as they apply to pensions for widows and regulation G6(1) shall be read as if, for the words “where the member and his wife were not married to each other” it said “where a nomination for a surviving partner pension was not effective”.

(6) When calculating a nominated partner’s pension, any part of the member’s benefit that is based on pensionable service before 6th April 1988 will, subject to paragraphs (7) and (8), be disregarded.

(7) If regulation G2(3) or (6) or regulation G4(2) or (3) apply to the calculation of the nominated partner’s pension on a member’s death in pensionable employment or with a preserved pension—

(a)the whole of the member’s pensionable service will be taken into account when calculating whether and (if so) to what extent there would have been an increase, by virtue of regulation E2(3) or E3(4) in the pensionable service on which the member’s pension under regulation E2 or E3 would have been based; and

(b)the whole period (if any) by which the member’s pension would have been increased will be treated as pensionable service after 5th April 1988.

(8) If regulation G3(2) applies to the calculation of the nominated partner’s pension, so that the nominated partner’s pension is equal to the member’s pension for a limited period, the nominated partner’s pension for that limited period will be equal to the whole of the member’s pension (including any part of the member’s pension that is based on pensionable service before 6th April 1988).

(9) Any reference in these Regulations to regulations G1 to G6 means, in relation to benefits in respect of a member who has nominated a partner, those regulations as applicable to the member’s nominated partner (if any).

(10) In the case of a Waiting Period Joiner, a declaration or notice given by a member for the purposes of regulation 2.E.2 or 3.E.2 of the 2008 Section of the Scheme will be treated as a declaration or notice given by that member for the purposes of this regulation.