You'll receive either a Total Reward Statement (TRS) or an Annual Benefit Statement (ABS).
The type of statement you will receive is based on your circumstances.
What TRS is
TRS are available to NHS Pension Scheme members working in NHS organisations who use the electronic staff record system (ESR).
What you'll get
A TRS summarises an individual employee’s employment package, including:
- basic pay
- allowances
- pension benefits for NHS Pension scheme members
Some NHS organisations also provide other benefits included in the statement, such as:
- health and wellbeing programmes
- learning and development
- flexible working opportunities
- childcare vouchers
- cycle to work schemes
How to access your statement
You can access this online through 'ESR employee self-service' or 'GOV.UK Verify'.
What ABS is
ABS are available to NHS Pension scheme members working in:
- approved non-NHS organisations
- smaller NHS organisations, such as GP practices
- NHS organisations who do not use ESR
What you'll get
An ABS will provide a pension statement for NHS Pension Scheme members
How to access your statement
You can access this online through 'GOV.UK Verify'.
Why you might not be able to see a statement
There are 3 main reasons why a pension statement may not be available.
1. There is a data issue that needs to be investigated.
For example:
- There is an outstanding data validation query on their member record such as exceeding whole time or overlapping pensionable employments.
- The member may have possible membership restrictions.
- The member may have complex membership patterns and/or calculations.
2. A manual calculation only can be performed.
For example:
- Pensions on Divorce details held. This will be automated from next year’s statements.
- Male nurse restrictions.
- Re-employed Pensioner.
- Member has drawdown recorded.
- Practitioner with specific membership restrictions.
- Additional Pension or ERRBO are not included.
3. The member is ineligible or will not receive an ABS.
For example:
- The person is an Electronic Staff Record (ESR) employee but not a member of the NHS Pension Scheme.
- The person(s) is not paid through the ESR system nor are they a member of the NHS Pension Scheme.
- The pension statement was calculated but as there was not an exact match between NHS Pensions and ESR data only the employment element is generated.
- The person was not a member of the scheme on 31 March this year or they joined prior to this date and their record has not been updated by their employer.
Note that for members transitioned to the 2015 Scheme, only added years purchased to 31 March 2015 or the date of transition if later are included in the calculation. Contributions paid after that date is shown on the statement for the latest year and all contributions will be included at point of retirement.
TRS and ABS will provide you with an overview of your pension benefits up to 31 March each year.
Our scheme year runs from 1 April to 31 March.
We base the statement on information provided to NHS Pensions by 31 May each year.
Statements are refreshed every year and are made available mid August.
The content shown on annual TRS or ABS is not ‘real-time’. NHS Pensions rely on NHS employers providing accurate and timely updates to member records by 31 May each year as a one-off annual update. If this information is not supplied before statements are issued, your statements will not show up-to-date information. The benefits shown will have been calculated using the last information provided by your employer. If this information is not supplied by 31 May, your statement will not show up-to-date information.
