State Pension death benefits

State Pension is based on the old rules if your partner reached, or would have reached,  State Pension age before 6 April 2016. You can quickly check anyone’s State Pension ageOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.

There are two parts to the old State Pension – the basic State Pension and the additional State Pension. The additional State Pension used to be called the State Second Pension (S2P), State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) and the Graduated Retirement Benefit (GRB).

The basic State Pension and the additional State Pension work slightly differently, and entitlement may have been built up under both the basic State Pension and the additional State Pension or just the basic State Pension. What might be paid on death will depend on when the person who dies first reached their State Pension age and when you were married.

For more detail on how it works, see our guide on the State Pension.

If your married or civil partner has died, you might be entitled to some additional State Pension based your partner’s National Insurance record. 

If your married or civil partner had delayed or stopped taking their State Pension (called deferring), you might be able to inherit part – or all – of the extra State Pension or lump sum they had built up.

If you don’t already get the full basic State Pension, you might be able to increase the amount you get by using your partner’s National Insurance (NI) record after they die – unless you: 

• were under State Pension age when your partner died and 

• remarry or enter into a new civil partnership before you reach State Pension age. 

This could top up your basic State Pension to the maximum of £176.45 a week for the 2025/26 tax year, depending on how many years of qualifying NI contributions or credits your partner had 

It may be possible for your estate to claim up to three months of your basic State Pension if you're not married or in a civil partnership when you die. They can only do this if you had not claimed it.  

To check what you can claim, contact the:

• Pension ServiceOpens in a new window if you live in England, Scotland or Wales

• Northern Ireland Pension CentreOpens in a new window if you live in Northern Ireland

• International Pension CentreOpens in a new window if you live abroad.

You might be able to inherit part of your partner’s State Pension if they reached, or would have reached, State Pension age before 6 April 2016. You can quickly check anyone’s State Pension ageOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.

If you were married to your spouse or civil partner before 6 April 2016 you may be able to inherit up to half of your partner’s additional State Pension or protected payment. Protected payments usually account for any additional State Pension built up  before April, but are paid out under the new State Pension rules.

You will not be able to inherit anything if you remarry or form a new civil partnership before you reach State Pension age.

To check what you can claim, contact the:

• Pension ServiceOpens in a new window if you live in England, Scotland or Wales

• Northern Ireland Pension CentreOpens in a new window if you live in Northern Ireland

• International Pension CentreOpens in a new window if you live abroad.    

If your married or civil partner reached State pension age before 6 April 2016 and they had delayed or stopped taking their State Pension (called deferring), you might be able to inherit part – or all – of the extra State Pension or lump sum they had built up.

This doesn’t apply if they reached State Pension on or after 6 April 2016.

If you and your partner reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, you’ll both claim the ‘new’ State Pension. Your State Pension will normally be based on your own National Insurance contributions only.

To see what you might be entitled to, use the State Pension and your partner toolOpens in a new window on GOV.UK. 

As well as claiming any extra State Pension, you might be entitled to other bereavement benefits.

Use our Benefits calculator to see the payments, grants and discounts you might be eligible for.

If your married or civil partner had delayed or stopped taking their State Pension (called deferring), you might be able to inherit part – or all – of the extra State Pension or lump sum they had built up.