FAQs on Bereavement

If you need to report the passing of a member of the Financial Assistance Scheme you can report a bereavement online. If you’d prefer to speak to someone, please call us on 0330 678 0000 or +44 (0)20 8406 2121 if you live overseas.

You can report the passing of a member of the Financial Assistance Scheme by using our online notification service.

Examples of information we need include:

• details of the deceased (such as name, address, date of birth, date of death, National Insurance number or FAS reference number)
• details of the person - or persons - in charge of the estate (if known)
• whether there are any potential beneficiaries (if you're unsure, please read our 'Payments for spouses, partners and children' booklet)
• a scan of the death certificate (if available)

We understand that some of this information may not be available so please provide as much as you can.

You may have an entitlement from the FAS if your spouse, civil partner or relevant partner would have received a FAS payment. If the scheme rules made provisions for a survivor’s pension to be paid to a relevant partner, your relevant partner may be entitled to FAS payments in certain circumstances. A relevant partner is someone of either sex to who you are neither married or in a civil partnership with, but who you live with as if you were.

For more information, please take a look at our 'Payments for Spouses, Partners and Children' booklet.

If you're married or have a civil partner when you die then your widow, widower or surviving civil partner may receive FAS payments. This payment will not be affected if they remarry or form a new civil partnership. Assistance could also be paid to any dependent child.

Payment will not be made if you were receiving FAS Assistance on the basis that you were the survivor of a scheme member.

If the scheme rules made provision for a survivor's pension to be paid to a relevant partner, that relevant partner may be entitled to FAS payments in certain circumstances. A relevant partner is someone of either sex who you are neither married to or in a civil partnership with, but who you live with as if you were.

Nominating relevant partners can be important. For instance, if you separated from your spouse but didn't get divorced – and you’ve not nominated your new partner – payments would automatically be made to your spouse. Also, evidence of financial dependence is not needed where a relevant partner has been nominated. You can nominate a partner on the FAS member website. Register now or call us on 0330 678 0000 or +44 (0)208 406 2121 if you're overseas.

For more information about what will happen to your FAS payments when you die, please refer to our 'Payments for Spouses, Partners and Children' booklet.

Yes, if you have eligible children, they will receive FAS payments until they are no longer eligible.

An eligible child is a child who is your biological child (born or unborn at the date of your death), an adopted child, or a child who was financially dependent upon you at the time of your death. And who is:

• under 18, or
• over 18 and under 23 and in qualifying education, or
• over 18 and under 23 and has a qualifying disability.

For more information, please refer to our 'Payments for Spouses, Partners and Children' booklet.