The NHS Pension Scheme covers around 1.7 million active members across the UK’s four NHS systems. It has three main sections — the 1995 Section (final salary, normal pension age 60), the 2008 Section (final salary, normal pension age 65), and the 2015 Scheme (career average, pension age linked to State Pension age). Which section you’re in depends on when you joined.
What we’ll cover
Plain-English explainers for this scheme are being written. They’ll cover:
- How your pension is calculated, with worked examples
- Contribution rates and how they’re banded
- Normal pension age, early retirement, and ill-health benefits
- Additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) and added pension
- Lump-sum commutation — when it makes sense and when it doesn’t
- Survivor benefits and what your family inherits
- The McCloud remedy decision: what it means for you, scheme by scheme
Information, not advice. This article describes the general rules of the scheme. It is not regulated financial advice and does not take account of your personal circumstances. Pension decisions can have lifetime consequences, so consider speaking to a regulated financial adviser or to MoneyHelper before making one. Pension Plain is not authorised or regulated by the FCA.