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Drawdown pension fund lump sum death benefit meaning

What does Drawdown pension fund lump sum death benefit mean?
A one‑off death payment from the remaining balance of a member’s pre‑6 April 2015 drawdown pension fund (capped or flexible) under a UK‑registered pension scheme. This is a statutory HMRC category of authorised death benefit defined in the Finance Act 2004, Schedule 29, Part 2, paragraph 17. It applies only to “drawdown pension funds” established before 6 April 2015 (not to flexi‑access drawdown funds set up on or after that date). Key features and practice points: - Paid on or after the member’s death from the drawdown fund, typically where the scheme (following its rules and any nominations) chooses a lump sum rather than continuing beneficiary drawdown or purchasing a dependant’s annuity. - Payable to eligible recipients (for example, individuals or trustees) in accordance with scheme rules. - Tax treatment follows the UK pension death benefit framework: broadly, where the member dies under age 75 and payment is made within the statutory two‑year window, sums can be tax‑free; otherwise they are taxable by reference to the recipient and timing. - Transitional but still encountered where legacy drawdown arrangements persist; for post‑2015 flexi‑access funds, the equivalent is a flexi‑access drawdown fund lump sum death benefit. Usage is uniform across England & Wales, Scotland...
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View the related Practice Notes about Drawdown pension fund lump sum death benefit

PRACTICE NOTES
Pensions glossary for family and matrimonial finance lawyers: schemes, tax reliefs, state pension, auto-enrolment, offsetting, PPF, valuation, drawdown and post-2024 lifetime allowance changes

A-day 'A-day' is the widely used term for the broad pension tax 'simplification' reforms that began on 6 April 2006. The changes covered: how much pension contribution was allowed, the kinds of schemes an individual could invest in, the sums that could be taken (and when), and the choices available for any remaining fund. A-day also introduced the annual allowance and the (now abolished) lifetime allowance. See: Annual allowance and Lifetime allowance. AFPS AFPS: Armed forces pension scheme; see Practice Note: Public sector pensions and family proceedings. Accrual rate The speed at which pension benefits build as pensionable service is completed in a final salary scheme, eg 1/60 for each year of pensionable service. Accrued benefits The benefits earned in respect of service up to a specified date. Added years Extra pension provided by adding further years of pensionable service in a salary-related scheme. Such additional years are secured via transfer payments or through additional voluntary contributions/augmentation...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Annuities in UK pension schemes: legal, tax and regulatory framework, options post-pension freedoms, death benefits, and 2024 allowance changes

Prior to 6 April 2015, individuals entitled to money purchase benefits (also referred to as defined contribution (DC) benefits) faced a narrow set of retirement choices: receiving a scheme pension drawdown purchasing a lifetime annuity Buying a lifetime annuity was the route most frequently taken, chiefly because the other two options were only accessible: if the member’s scheme allowed them (which was uncommon in practice) for drawdown, if the member met certain conditions On 6 April 2015, pension freedoms were introduced to broaden the retirement pathways open to DC members and those with other ‘flexible benefits’ (e.g. cash balance benefits). Drawdown not only became far more widely available, but members with flexible benefits could also take their pension pot as one or more lump sums, called ‘uncrystallised pension fund lump sums’. For more detail, see Practice Notes: Pension freedoms—an introduction [Archived] and Uncrystallised funds pension lump sums (UFPLSs). This Practice Note examines annuities, the...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK pensions glossary for private client and family lawyers

Accrual rate The speed at which pension entitlement builds as pensionable service is completed within a final salary arrangement, e.g. 1/60 for each year of pensionable service. Accrued benefits Benefits relating to service built up to a given date, measured with reference to current earnings or projected future pay. A-day ‘A-day’ is the widely used term for the broad pension tax ‘simplification’ reforms that came into force on 6 April 2006. These changes followed a 2004 government policy to rationalise the British tax system as it applied to pension schemes. The objective was to cut the volume of legislation accumulated under successive administrations, folding the previous eight tax regimes into a single regime for all personal and occupational pensions. Key areas covered included: how much pension contribution was allowed; the range of schemes an individual could invest in; how much an individual could withdraw (and when); and what could be done with the remaining fund. A-Day...

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