If a spouse or civil partner of a member of the Scheme has legally ended their relationship, the court will consider any relevant pension credit they should be awarded. There are two main provisions which allow them to receive pension credits following dissolution of their marriage or civil partnership: these are ‘Earmarking’ and ‘Pension Sharing’ Orders.

Where an Earmarking Order is made, the agreed share of their former spouse or civil partner’s benefits is redirected to you. If a Pension Sharing Order is made, they’ll be awarded a credit in the Scheme and become a Pension Credit Member (PCM). They’ll receive a credit based on the highest value available.

Once the credit has been awarded, any action their ex-spouse or ex-civil partner takes regarding making a choice regarding their retirement benefits, due to being affected by the Transitional Protection changes, will not affect the Pension Credit member’s pension.