# The National Health Service Pension Scheme Regulations 2015, Regulation 118: Recent leavers

Extent: E+W

(1) This regulation applies if—
(a) a recent leaver dies leaving a surviving spouse or civil partner who has a guaranteed minimum under section 17 of the 1993 Act in relation to benefits in respect of the recent leaver under this scheme; and
(b) the leaver has died before reaching the normal pension age.
(2) The surviving spouse or civil partner is entitled to a pension payable for life of an amount equal to the surviving spouse’s or surviving civil partner’s guaranteed minimum pension (disregarding any additional pension).
(3) Paragraph (2) does not apply if—
(a) the Secretary of State’s liability to provide a guaranteed minimum pension in respect of the surviving spouse or civil partner is discharged by the payment of a contributions equivalent premium under section 55 of the 1993 Act or article 3 of the 2016 Order, or
(b) a surviving widow, widower or surviving civil partner has been convicted of an offence specified in paragraph 12 of Schedule 3 and the Secretary of State directed, as a consequence of that conviction, that the person’s rights to a payment in respect of the member’s death is forfeit.
(4) In this Part, “recent leaver” means a person—
(a) who left pensionable service less than 12 months before the date of death;
(b) who is neither qualified for a retirement pension pursuant to regulation 72 nor is a pensioner member because of rights resulting from that employment; and
(c) in respect of whom no transfer value or refund of contributions has been paid in respect of that employment.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/94/regulation/118 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-pension-scheme-regulations-2015/regulation-118
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.