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  • Partner benefits

    Topics:
    • Teaching staff, 
    • Pension Scheme

    Information on what Northern Ireland Teachers’ Pension Scheme benefits your partner will receive after you die.

    Will my partner receive a pension after I die?

    Yes, provided certain conditions are met at the time of your death.

    What are the conditions?

    They include:

    • you must have lived with your partner in a permanent exclusive relationship for a minimum of two years
    • you must be legally to marry or to enter into a civil partnership
    • you and your partner must be financially interdependent

    What is meant by financial interdependency?

    Some examples of financial interdependency are given below, but these are not exhaustive and not all need to be met. Typically interdependency means:

    • you share a household and its related spending
    • you have a joint bank account or mortgage
    • you have made wills naming each other as beneficiaries
    • you have mutual power of attorney
    • you do not need to demonstrate financial interdependency at the time you nominate your partner (this will be checked after you die)

    What service will count towards my partner’s pension?

    Only service from 1 April 2007 will count automatically towards a pension for your partner. If you were a member before that date you may be able to cover previous service by paying extra contributions.

    How do I tell you who my partner is?

    Although there is no requirement for a nomination form to be completed, you may use the following form to advise us that your partner should receive a pension from NITPS after your death (provided certain conditions are met).

    • TP71 - nomination of partner

    What do I do if my partner and I decide not to live together?

    You should inform us that your nomination no longer applies.

    Nomination for death grant

    You may use this form to nominate a person to receive your death grant should you die in service

    • TP9A - nomination for death grant

    Related content

    • Actuarial reports
    • Additional pension
    • Annual Benefit Statements
    • Applying for retirement benefits
    • Career average revaluation rates
    • Customer service, and complaints
    • Family benefits
    • Governance of the Northern Ireland Teachers' Pension Scheme (NITPS)
    • Ill-health retirement benefits and re-employment
    • Ill-health Retirement Guide
    • Important pensions notices for all NITPS members
    • Maintaining and boosting your pension
    • McCloud Remedy / Goodwin Judgement
    • Membership elections
    • NI Teachers’ Pension Scheme Member Contribution Yield Consultation
    • Northern Ireland Teachers' Pension Scheme actuarial valuation 2016
    • Northern Ireland Teachers' Pension Scheme – Cost control valuation 2016
    • Northern Ireland Teachers’ Pension Scheme actuarial valuation 2020
    • Overview of the Northern Ireland Teachers' Pension Scheme (NITPS) including member factsheets
    • Pension circulars
    • Pension Increase rates and career average revaluation
    • Pension regulations
    • Pensions calculators
    • Pensions when you divorce
    • Prospective Remedy Consultation
    • Retrospective Remedy Consultation
    • Returning to work after receiving pension benefits
    • Statement on the McCloud Judgement
    • Teachers' Pay & Pensions Team - Privacy Notice (effective from 25 May 2018)
    • Teachers' Pension System - Member and Employer Portals
    • The Money and Pensions Service, MoneyHelper, pensions blog for teachers in Northern Ireland
    • Transitional Protection Arrangements
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