Pension entitlement

[Thistledew]

My dad left his job with the British Council just over 30 years ago. About 6 months later he married my mum.

When he resigned he was given a letter stating that his pension entitlement would not pass to his spouse if he was survived in the marriage. After leaving this job, he was self-employed until he retired.

My mum has been a SAHM, then worked on short term contracts, then had to take early retirement due to ill health. As a result, she only has a basic state pension.

Does anyone know if there is any way that the decision that mum should not benefit from dad's pension can be challenged? Or any way that they can further 'buy in' to it so that she can benefit?

I really have no idea where to start looking into this.

You'd probably have to get in touch with the trustees or whoever it is manages the British Council pension scheme. They will have the full terms and conditions of the scheme and will be able to tell you if it is transferable to a surviving spouse etc. If he was not already retired and presumably drawing the pension already (?) then he might have been able to port the value to a private scheme with different terms.