Death notifications
How do I tell you that someone has died?
Please let us know as soon as possible by ringing our helpline on 0191 341 0600. The administrator will take the details over the phone and you will receive a letter within 10 days to confirm what happens next. During the phone call you’ll be asked for the full name of the deceased person, their date of birth, pension reference number (if you know it), address and details of any next of kin. We will need to see the death certificate but you can contact us before the death certificate has been issued.
We will ask you to provide contact details of the person dealing with the estate, known as the Legal Personal Representative or LPR. This is usually the spouse/partner or another family member, or may be a solicitor. We may ask to see a copy of the Will if there is one, and the Grant of Probate if applicable.
If you would prefer to tell us in writing, you can write to us using the contact us details or use this form.
If you are ringing to tell us about the death of a pensioner:
We will stop payment of the pension as soon as possible. If you contact us after the 18th of the month, it may not be possible to stop the next payment of pension from being made to the usual bank account. We will ask you (or the LPR if different) to return the payment to us if this happens.
There may be a spouse or dependant’s pension payable but we can’t confirm that over the phone. We will write to the LPR and ask for the proof we’ll need to carry out our checks. We will need to see the birth and marriage/civil partnership certificates in order to pay a spouse’s pension. The evidence required for a dependant’s pension is more complicated, so we will tell you what we need you to provide if there is a possible dependant.
There may be children’s pensions payable but we can’t confirm that over the phone. We will take details of the pensioner’s dependant children and check the rules that apply to his/her pension. We will then confirm what evidence is needed before we can put a child’s pension into payment.
If you are ringing to tell us about the death of a deferred member:
There may be a spouse or dependant’s pension payable but we can’t confirm that over the phone. We will write to the LPR and ask for the proof we’ll need to carry out our checks. We will need to see the birth and marriage/civil partnership certificates in order to pay a spouse’s pension. The evidence required for a dependant’s pension is more complicated, so we will tell you what we need you to provide if there is a possible dependant.
There may be children’s pensions payable but we can’t confirm that over the phone. We will take details of the pensioner’s dependant children and check the rules that apply to his/her pension. We will then confirm what evidence is needed before we can put a child’s pension into payment.
We will check for any death benefit that may be payable (some pensions provide a five-year balance or a refund of contributions) and check whether the deceased person completed a nomination form. We may need to gather additional information before the Trustee is able to decide how the death benefit should be distributed.