What if I have a partner?
Same-sex couples can undertake a civil ceremony to officially register their relationship as a 'civil partnership'. Civil Partners have similar rights under the pension Scheme as opposite-sex spouses. In the event of a member's death, a civil partner will automatically qualify for a survivor's pension. The survivor's pension is 2/3rds of the member's pension for all service for which survivor's pension contributions have been paid (the basic pension package includes cover for a spouse or partner when you die unless you have written to BA Pensions and asked not to pay for the cover or, if you are a woman who joined before December 1987 and didn't elect to pay for survivor's cover later).
If you have a common-law spouse or have a same-sex partner that you have not registered as your civil partner, your spouse/partner will not automatically be entitled to a survivor's pension. They can however apply for a Survivor's Pension. For more information, look at the 'Surviving Dependant Registration Form'. Your partner would need to demonstrate that they were 'financially dependent' on you or 'financially interdependent' with you in order for the Trustees to consider paying the survivor's pension to them
Registering your civil partner on your pension records
If you are currently working for British Airways you should update People Online with your partner's details, using the self-service option on the BA intranet. This will then automatically notify BA Pensions that you have a civil partner. We will request your original civil partnership certificate and your partner's original birth certificate at your retirement.
If you are in receipt of your pension or have a deferred pension entitlement in the NAPS Scheme, then you should send us your original civil partnership certificate along with your partner's original birth certificate now. We return original certificates immediately by Royal Mail recorded delivery.