Is death in service benefit always linked to a pensions or do some companies offer it seperately? My mother died recently while still in employment. She wasn't paying into the pension scheme as she was over 50 when she joined the company. When we contacted the HR department to notify them of her death they mentioned she might be due a death in service benefit, which I was quite surprised at. They said they'd get back to us, but despite several calls they still can't confirm it. I'm just wondering what the chances are of getting anything.