My spouse or partner gets
Lump sum
If you die while still working at BA
- The Lump sum is broadly three times your Pensionable pay at the time of
your death plus the value of Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs).
Put more on top of my BA pension - Plus (if no Adult Survivor's pension is payable) your own contributions, with interest at 3.5% per year up to the date of death.
If you die after leaving BA or within 5 years after retirement
- A Lump sum may be paid if no Adult Survivor's pension is payable. The Lump sum is broadly the difference between benefits you have received, if any, and your contributions plus interest.
- The Lump sum is free of Inheritance Tax.
The Lump sum doesn't have to be paid to your spouse, partner or surviving dependant. By completing a Notice of Wish form, you can ask the Trustees to consider at their discretion another person or cause of your choice.
Adult Survivor's pension
The basic pension package includes cover for your spouse, partner or surviving dependant when you die. Unless you have written to BA Pensions and asked not to pay for cover for an Adult Survivor, they will receive:
- If you die while still working at BA, a pension of two-thirds of your basic pension calculated using the years, months and days that you have paid for Adult Survivor's cover plus any Adult Survivor's pension that you have transferred in plus half the time remaining between the date of your death and Normal retirement age (or age 63 if you were Ground Staff on 1 Dec 1989, there has been no break in service and you are still Ground Staff when you die).
- If you have a deferred pension or die after you have retired, the Adult Survivor's pension will not include the extra half time remaining to your Normal retirement age (or age 63 if you were Ground Staff on 1 Dec 1989, there has been no break in service and you are still Ground Staff when you die).
- The Adult Survivor's pension is payable for life.
- Remember if you work part-time we use your full-time equivalent salary and your part-time service in the Basic pension calculation.
If your spouse, partner or surviving dependant is more than ten years your junior, the pension is reduced by 1.25% for each complete year by which the age difference exceeds ten years. For example, the pension would be reduced by 3.75% if they are 13 years younger than you.
If you are single when you die, this pension may be payable, at the discretion of the Trustees, to a Surviving Dependant whom the Trustees consider to meet the criteria of a Pensionable Dependant (this could be a common-law spouse, partner, or someone who is financially dependent on you to a substantial extent). Detailed information and Surviving Dependant Registration forms are available on the Forms page.
Additional voluntary contributions (AVCs)
If you die while still working at BA, the value of your AVC account will be refunded to your spouse, partner or other beneficiary.
If you die in retirement, what your spouse or partner receive will depend on whether you bought an extra pension at retirement and, if so, the type of pension you bought with your AVC account.
If you die in retirement but have deferred your AVCs, your AVC fund can be used to provide spouse or civil partner benefits through an insurance company of their choice or will be paid to your estate.