Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons (a) the Civil Service Widows Pension Scheme rules include the 1972 Section in which premium deductions are taken should an individual marry after retirement and (b) the premium deduction is not paid out to children following the death of the policyholder; and whether MyCSP retains premium deductions.

(a) Widows/widowers/civil partners’ pension provisions exist in all parts of the Civil Service pension arrangements. The facility whereby a ‘premium deduction’ is taken from any refund of contributions payable to an unmarried member only exists in the 1972 Section (none of the other parts of the Civil Service pension arrangements provide refunds to unmarried members). The deduction is there to cover the scheme against the risk that the member marries/enters a civil partnership in retirement and then pre-deceases their spouse/civil partner, giving rise to a widow(er)/civil partner’s pension payable from the scheme.

(b) If the premium were to be repaid to the member’s estate should they subsequently die without marrying or entering a civil partnership, the amount of the premium would need to be significantly higher as it would only be retained by the scheme in circumstances where a spouse/civil partner’s pension was payable.

(c) The Civil Service pension arrangements are funded through the Civil Superannuation Vote. Contributions (both member and employer) are paid into the Vote, and benefits and refunds are paid out of the Vote. MyCSP are the scheme administrator. They arrange for refunds of contributions to be paid, where appropriate. But if a premium deduction is necessary, MyCSP do not retain that deduction themselves. It is retained in the Vote.