A regular income paid by the state to people above pensionable age, by former employers to people who have retired from employment, or by a personal pension fund to a contributor. State pensions may be conditional on having made contributions to an insurance fund during one’s working life. Occupational pensions may be contributory or non-contributory. Pension schemes normally give members pensions for their own lives; they vary in their provision for surviving spouses and other dependants. Personal pensions can also be purchased from insurance companies. See also occupational pension; pay-as-you-go pension; portable pension.