Nominations for death benefits

A lump sum of money could be paid to those who matter to you if you die before claiming your pension. By nominating, you can say who you'd like the money to go to.

What is a nomination?

Your pension isn’t just about you – it’s about those you care about too. By completing a nomination, you let the Trustee know who you'd like a lump sum to go to if you die before you take your pension.

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Why you should nominate

Your railways pension is considered separately to the rest of your estate when you die and isn’t covered by your will.

 If a lump sum death benefit is payable under the Scheme rules, the Trustee decides who this should go to. To help the Trustee make this decision, you can make a nomination. This will let the Trustee know who you would prefer the lump sum death benefit to be paid to. The Trustee does not have to follow your nomination, but it is an important piece of information that it will consider.

Making a nomination could make the process quicker and may prevent delays in any lump sum being paid, which can have tax implications.

It’s also important to keep your nominations up to date, as the person or people, you wished to benefit previously may not be the same people you’d choose today.

The lump sum is separate to any pensions that may also be paid to your dependants.

Watch the short video to see why nominations are so important.

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Who you can nominate

You can nominate:

  • an individual or several people
  • charities or good causes 
  • other organisations
How you can nominate

The easiest and quickest way to nominate is to log in to your myRPS account. Select 'My nominations' and follow the simple steps. It will only take a few minutes. If you haven't got a myRPS account, you can register now. 

Alternatively, you can download and print a nomination form. Once complete, please return it to the Scheme administrator, Railpen, using the address on the form.

For more details on how to nominate, take a look at our video.

You can read more about death benefits and how they are paid on the reporting a death page and in your Member Guide. You can find your Guide by logging in to your myRPS account. 

What to read next...

Reporting the death of an RPS member

How to report the death of a Scheme member and what happens before any death benefits are paid. 

10 things to know about pensions 

Get to grips with your pension in this handy list of 10 top things to know.

Saving more

Discover how paying Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) could help you boost your retirement income.