Dependants

Different rules and benefits apply to pensioners (and therefore their dependants) depending on whether they retired (or died) on or before 1 April 2008.

If you are drawing a survivor pension and/or child allowance as a widow, widower, or surviving civil partner of an HSC Pension Scheme member, on or before 31 March 2008, the changes to the HSC Pension Scheme do not affect you, or your entitlements in any way.

Your entitlements will only be affected by a change in your circumstances, for example if you were to remarry, enter into another civil partnership, or co-habit with a partner. In these cases you must notify us of the change because you would no longer be entitled to these benefits.

Spouses or partners of deceased Pension Scheme members who reired after 1 April 2008 will continue to receive benefits for life, regardless of whether they remarry or enter into another qualifying partnership.

If the payment you receive from us is a child allowance you must inform us immediately when a child ceases full time education or training, or if there are any changes in circumstances that may affect payment of the allowance. Any overpayment will have to be repaid.

Pension payment dates will normally fall on the last banking day of each month, with the only exception being December when we aim to arrange payment before the annual holidays. The payment dates are as follows:

30 June 2009

31 July 2009

31 August 2009

30 September 2009

30 October 2009

30 November 2009

22 December 2009

29 January 2010

26 February 2010

31 March 2010

For those of you who have your pension paid directly into a bank account each month we normally do not sent out a payslip every month.

You will only receive a pension payslip if your net payment differs by more than £1 per month and also when the pension increase comes into effect in April and May each year.