A widow/widower or surviving civil partner may inherit some or all of their deceased partner's Additional State Pension.
Until April 2002, the additional State Pension for employees was called the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS). The amount of SERPS pension that you could inherit depends on the date of birth of the person who has died.
There are subtle differences in inheriting SERPS between women whose partner has died and men whose partner has died.
What about inheriting Additional State Pension?
The maximum amount of State Second Pension (S2P) that widows, widowers or surviving civil partners can inherit is 50% regardless of when they were bereaved.
Please note that there is a maximum amount of Additional State Pension you can receive. Therefore, if you have some of your own Additional State Pension and inherit some of your partner's, you cannot be paid more than the weekly maximum amount which is currently £185.90 per week for the year 2022 - 23. This amount does not include State Pension top up.
Further Information
For detailed information, contact the Pension Advisory Service directly.
This information is only relevant if you reached state pension age before 6th April 2016.