Making a lump sum nomination
If you die before you retire, and even sometimes on pension, we will pay out a one off lump sum. You can have your say over who you would like this to go to, by filling in a lump sum nomination, as this section explains.
Who can I nominate?
You can nominate whoever you like to receive the lump sum - friends, family, partners, even an organisation such as your favourite charity.
All we ask is that if naming more than one beneficiary, you spell out what share each should get (making sure the shares add up to 100%!) Or if you prefer, you can ask us to pay the lump sum to your personal representatives, for them to pay out in line with the rest of your estate. There is a section on the form for this.
This form is for lump sum nominations only!
If you want to nominate a partner to receive a pension, this is completely different.
Do I need to make a lump sum nomination?
No you don’t, but please think about it seriously, as it’s the best way of letting us know your wishes. It’s also easy to change your mind at any time, by simply filling in a new lump sum nomination form. This is something you should think about if your circumstances change, for example someone you’ve named dies first, or you get divorced. You can also cancel your lump sum nomination at any time simply by filling in a cancellation form.
The cancellation form cancels your lump sum nomination only (not any cohabiting partners’ nomination you may have made).
Who will you pay the lump sum to?
Under the Scheme rules, the final decision always rests with us. But we do have guidelines as to how we will go about this...
We will always give great weight to your nomination, and will generally follow it unless this isn’t possible, or we feel there are exceptional circumstances.
An example of when we can’t follow your nomination is if a beneficiary has died, or we can’t trace them within two years.
And there will always be a short delay to allow for any claims from family or dependants who wouldn’t benefit if we followed your nomination. But they would have to put forward an exceptionally strong case for us to pay them instead. / If you don’t nominate, or we don’t follow your nomination:
If you don’t nominate, or we don’t follow your nomination, we will usually pay the lump sum to your personal representatives.
This makes sense as they already have the job of paying out the rest of your estate - in other words any money, property or possessions you leave behind when you die.
Please read these important notes, before making your nomination:
- Use black ink and BLOCK CAPITALS so we can read all the details clearly
- We won’t accept your form if there are any alterations or parts crossed out. If you make a mistake please request a new form.
- If you are nominating a child, just include their details. Don’t add details of their parent or guardian, unless you want these people to benefit in their own right as well
You cannot name an alternate beneficiary in case your first choice dies first
If you are nominating more than one beneficiary, please make sure the shares add up to exactly 100%
You must get the form witnessed, by someone who is over 18, personally known to you, and not someone you’ve nominated or their husband, wife or civil partner
And finally, check all the details through before sending your form to us.
We will treat your nomination confidentially, and it will be valid as soon as we receive it. We will add the details to your pension records (which we hold on computer) and return your original to you.