If I die before I receive my pension what happens with that money?


Auntie’s answer: Your question actually lends itself to several scenarios, all of which were explained by an official with the Department of Labour and Pensions (DLP).

If you are married, then under the law your spouse automatically becomes your beneficiary. In the case of your death occurring before receiving your pension, as you describe, your spouse could choose to receive the benefits immediately or on a deferred basis. “Once the payments commence, the pension benefit would be paid to the spouse on, at least, an annual basis, which is the same method that would have been paid to the member,” the DLP official explained.

In the case of there being dependent children, they would be entitled to at least a portion of your pension. “If the member is married with dependent children, then the pension benefit would be split 50% to the spouse and 50% to the dependent children. If the member is unmarried and has dependent children, then all of the pension benefit would be used for the maintenance, benefit and education of the dependent children.”

However, if you are neither married nor have any dependent children, you would have had to designate someone else as your beneficiary who, after your death, would be entitled to receive your pension benefit, according to your instructions on the enrolment form.

The official added some important advice. “Please note when a member enrols in their pension plan, they are asked to name a beneficiary of their pension assets. It is incumbent on the pension plan member to keep their information with the pension plan administrator up to date including their own contact information as well as their beneficiary information, including their marital status and details on their dependent children.”