Co-ordinated pension upon death of spouse

[poorrelative]

Sorry to be morbid but one has to think of the practicalities if planning early retirement. Two public sector workers of similar age, pre-2004 with class A PRSI and co-ordinated pensions. What happens if one dies? My understanding is that the other spouse receives 50% of the others public sector pension (assuming this option was paid for while working). However, does this 50% only apply to the occupational part? What about supplementary pension if death occurs before 66? What about the state pension part if death occurs after 66?

 

[Ruffian]

The benefits relate to the Occupational Pension only. The survivor spouse may also be eligible for DSP benefits, eg, widow/widower pension.

" How is the spouse’s pension calculated?
A spouses' pension is
based on net pensionable remuneration but in this case:
Net Pensionable remuneration = gross pensionable
remuneration less once the State Pension.
The amount of pension is:
Net pensionable remuneration * service of deceased member
(years, days) * 1/80 * 0.5
This means that the spouses pension is one half of the pension which
would have been paid to the deceased pension if net pensionable
remuneration was defined as gross pensionable remuneration less
once the State Pension, rather than twice.

Where a member dies in service or following retirement on grounds of
ill-health, the spouses pension is based on the service that the member
would have had if he or she had served to age 65 (60 in the case of
Prison Officers) subject to a maximum of 40 years. The spouses
pension is one-half of the pension which would have been paid based
on this service with net pensionable remuneration defined as gross
pensionable remuneration less once the State Pension, rather than
twice.
The civil service spouse’s pension is payable in addition to the
spouses’ pension entitlements payable under the Social Welfare Code."

 

[DCSF]

Apologies to jump on this thread - I actually was wondering a very similar question to OPs question.

If, for example, two public servants married..one class D one Class A.
If class A member dies post retirement at say ages 68, does surviving spouse get 50% of their entire pension (occupational and state ) or just 50% of their occupational pension (state portion being disregarded)?

 

[Ruffian]

If class A member dies post retirement at say ages 68, does surviving spouse get 50% of their entire pension (occupational and state ) or just 50% of their occupational pension (state portion being disregarded)

Neither really.

What the surviving spouse gets from the DSP depends on what they are eligible for based on their own or their deceased spouses PRSI record, eg, widow/widower's pension, state pension. It is a Social Welfare Benefit - assuming they meet the normal PRSI criteria.

Separately, the surviving spouse's Occupational Pension benefits are calculated as follows:

"How is the spouse’s pension calculated?

A spouses' pension is based on net pensionable remuneration but in this case:
Net Pensionable remuneration = gross pensionable remuneration less once the State Pension.

The amount of pension is:
Net pensionable remuneration * service of deceased member
(years, days) * 1/80 * 0.5

This means that the spouses pension is one half of the pension which
would have been paid to the deceased pension if net pensionable
remuneration was defined as gross pensionable remuneration less
once the State Pension, rather than twice."


So it is more that 50% of the deceased member's Occupational Pension.