NHS Pensions

Joiners

Use the Scheme Identifier to help you identify which Section or Scheme an employee should be in.

What you need to do

  1. Read the employer guide to joiners and eligibility (PDF: 537KB)
  2. Read the new joiner factsheet (PDF: 347KB) for instructions on how to enrol a new member into the Scheme and complete the new employee questionnaire (Word: 325KB).
  3. You may also find the capacity codes list (PDF: 243KB) useful.

Forms and spreadsheets you may need (non POL users)

Joining or rejoining the NHS Pension Scheme (SS10) (PDF: 180KB)Joining or rejoining the NHS Pensions Scheme (SS10GP) (PDF: 171KB)Joining or rejoining the NHS Pension Scheme (SS14) (PDF: 183KB)Application to contribute to the NHS Pension Scheme under a Section 7(2) Direction (SD65) (PDF: 268KB)Joiner excel spreadsheet (Excel: 17.1KB)Joiner excel spreadsheet completion guide (PDF: 465KB)

Re-employment guidance

Read this guidance for more information about re-employed members (the abatement guide is being updated to reflect the change to retire and return regulations for 1995 Section members from 1 April 2023):
Abatement basic overview employer guide (PDF: 318KB) Retire and return employer guide (PDF: 282KB)

Re-employment forms

Use our forms to notify Paymaster if you have:

  • an NHS pensioner who wants to return to NHS employment
  • a change to a re-employed pensioner’s circumstances

Re-employment of an NHS pensioner (AW140) (PDF: 95KB)Change of circumstances for a re-employed NHS pensioner (AW140A) (PDF: 101KB)

Auto enrolment

Employers must automatically enrol eligible staff into a qualifying workplace pension.

The NHS Pension Scheme is the default Scheme for all NHS employees.

Employees need to actively opt out of the Scheme if they don’t want to pay into it.

Read our auto enrolment employer guide (PDF: 223KB) and our contractual enrolment vs auto enrolment guide (PDF: 172KB).

 

Eligibility

You must auto enrol eligible staff into the Scheme if they are aged between 22 and State Pension Age.

It’s your responsibility to identify which staff are eligible for the Scheme. The NHS Employers’ website has information to help identify the eligibility of your workforce.

Not all staff are eligible to join the NHS Pension Scheme. Those who aren’t must be automatically enroled into alternative pension arrangements.

Suggested letters to explain auto enrolment to employees are also available.

    Further information

    NHS Employers

    The NHS Employers’ website has seven key steps to prepare for auto enrolment and FAQs. They have an auto enrolment 'lessons learnt' document that you may find useful.

    The Pensions Regulator

    Their Planning for auto enrolment  webpage is aimed at smaller organisations.

    It allows employers to make a plan to help prepare for and meet auto enrolment requirements.

    There’s also information about your staging date and detailed guidance about auto enrolment.

    FAQs

    We have produced our own set of auto enrolment FAQs (PDF: 141KB) for:

    • Employing Authorities
    • GP Practices
    • Direction employers

     

    Access Pensions Online

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    Help us improve our website

    We’re still developing our website based on your feedback, so please tell us what you think.

    Employee section

    This section is to inform employees about their Total Reward and Annual Benefit Statements.

    Applying for your pension

    Retirement: age, early, redundancy, ill health, flexible, lump sums. How to claim and supporting information.

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