None of us would want to think the worst could happen at this time, but we all see the news and know that not only can public service workers die of Coronavirus, but they are. None of us are immune, and indeed we may often bear a higher risk than other members of the public because of the work we do.
A branch member got in touch with the office through her rep, to ask us to remind our members as a whole that the LGPS Pension scheme includes automatically a free life insurance component. Any member of the LGPS if they die in service receives a sum of three times their gross salary which is paid to their nominated beneficiary.
However, staff do need to nominate a beneficiary. Have you done so? Or did you last do it 20 years ago and it needs updating?
Our member cited above recently found that her benefactor had not been registered correctly when the pension administration service was transferred from Capita to Hampshire County Council in April 2019, and wanted to suggest that all LGPS members check that they have a named benefactor registered and that this is still the right person.
It is simple to check yourself via the online pensions portal.