The NHS Pension Scheme offers pension benefits to eligible dependants when a member has died.
View a list of possible child dependants on the Survivors Guide.
We may need evidence to confirm the child was financially dependent on the member. We’ll contact the member's Legal Personal Representative (LPR) if this is needed.
A children’s pension can be claimed at any time after death. In most cases it’s payable from the day after the member's death.
If the member dies in service or after retirement, a short-term pension is paid for the first 6 months after the death. The children’s pension is payable once the short-term pension has ended.
Find more information about a children’s pension on our website.
Claiming for a child
Details of who the children’s pension must be paid to are requested on the Dependant Claim Form (DCF).
It can be paid to either:
- the person who has care of the child
- the child themselves, even if they're a minor
A children’s pension is taxable. This is deducted against their own tax code.
How is a children’s pension calculated
The benefits payable depend on which Scheme the member was in and their circumstances at the time of their death.
This includes how many dependant children there are, and if the member was in active service or had left the Scheme or retired.
If the member does not have a partner or spouse, the children's pension may be higher.
A children’s pension is not payable if the member has less than 2 years membership and dies 12 months after leaving pensionable NHS employment.
What age can a children’s pension be paid to
Membership ended on or after 1 April 2008
The child must be either:
- under the age of 23
- aged 23 or over and incapable of earning a living due to a permanent physical or mental illness from which the child was suffering at the time the member died
We must see a medical certificate or a letter from the doctor explaining the condition.
Membership ended before 1 April 2008
The child must be either:
- under the age of 17
- aged 17 or over but under age 23 and is in full-time education or training
- aged 17 or over but under age 23 and incapable of earning a living due to a permanent physical or mental illness from which the child started to suffer whilst qualifying as a dependent child
- incapable of earning a living due to a permanent physical or mental illness from which the child was suffering at the time the member died
We must see medical certificate or a letter from the doctor explaining the condition.
The pension may still be payable if the child has been accepted for either:
- an apprenticeship
- vocational training
- an internship
You must tell us to stop the payment if a child takes a gap year from full-time education. If they return to education after the gap year, you must write to us with evidence of this to restart the payment.
Member retired before 6 April 2006 or child became entitled to a children's pension before 6 April 2006
The maximum age limit of 23 does not apply if the child remains in full-time education.