Today is an important milestone for gay and lesbian couples, as the law now allows them to gain legal recognition for their relationship.
From today, gay and lesbian couples can ‘tie the knot’ in a civil ceremony, not unlike a register office wedding, after which they become classed as civil partners.
Many people are wrongly using the term “gay marriage” to describe the new Civil Partnership Registration Scheme, although the scheme does seem to have been designed to be as close to a marriage contract as possible.
It opens the door to a range of property rights, the same exemption as married couples on inheritance tax, social security – and most importantly from our point of view - pension benefits too.
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One of the first high profile couples to tie the knot today were Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish, who chose Windsor’s Guildhall for their ceremony – the same venue used for the wedding of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall
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If you are a member of Greater Manchester Pension Fund and you have a gay or lesbian partner, then registering your partnership entitles your other half to a pension if you die first – something they wouldn’t otherwise be entitled to.
The Fund is producing a helpful booklet called Civil Partnerships & your pension which briefly explains how the new Civil Partnership Registration Scheme works, and its impact on your Fund benefits.
The booklet will be available in January - to reserve your copy, please contact us.
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