Standard Life Bereavement: Reporting a Death and Pension Death Benefits

Report the death to Standard Life with its online form, have the death certificate and any plan numbers ready, and expect a bereavement specialist to contact you within two weeks.¹²

How to tell Standard Life

Standard Life says the easiest way is its online bereavement form.¹ It asks for:¹

• the full name and date of birth of the person who has died
• their full address, including postcode
• the plan number, if known
• the death certificate

A specialist in Standard Life's Bereavements Team will be in contact within 2 weeks of the form being submitted.² It may ask for a copy of the will later, and an IHT409 form only if it's needed.²

Phone: Standard Life points to its Contact Us page for phone details. We could not read a bereavement number there when we checked on 19 October 2026, so we don't print one here; use the form, or ask the bereavement team for the right number for this plan. Standard Life was not on the Death Notification Service's member list on that date.³

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Pension death benefits: the rules that matter

• Standard Life decides who is paid. It pays the beneficiary or beneficiaries it chooses. Any expression of wish is taken into account but is not legally binding on it.²
• The 2-year deadline (death before 75). The death benefit must be paid within 2 years from the date Standard Life is notified for every settlement option. If not, a lump sum is the only option and income tax may be deducted.²
• No beneficiary found. If no beneficiaries are identified within 2 years of notification, the benefit is paid as a lump sum to the estate and may be subject to Inheritance Tax.²

So report a pension death early, even before you have all the paperwork. See what happens to a pension when someone dies.

Have this ready

• Annual statements or letters showing plan numbers.
• Details of any expression of wish the person told you about.
• Names and contact details of likely beneficiaries, such as a spouse, partner or children.

Common questions

How do I tell Standard Life about a death?

Standard Life says the easiest way is its online bereavement form. Have the person's full name, date of birth, full address and postcode, any plan number and the death certificate ready.

How long does Standard Life take to respond?

Standard Life says a specialist in its Bereavements Team will be in contact within 2 weeks of the form being submitted.

Is an expression of wish binding on Standard Life?

No. Standard Life says any such wishes are not legally binding on it, and it pays the beneficiary or beneficiaries it chooses.

What is Standard Life's 2-year rule?

If the person died before 75, the pension death benefit must be paid within 2 years from the date Standard Life is notified for all settlement options; otherwise a lump sum is the only option and income tax may be deducted.

Every phone number, address, limit and document list on this page was read on standardlife.co.uk on 19 October 2026. Where Standard Life does not publish something, we say so rather than guess: ask its bereavement team.