Your NHS pension statement helps you understand what your pension may be worth at this time.
This information is known as your ‘standard benefits’.
Where you can find your standard benefits
Standard benefits are included in your Annual Benefit Statement (ABS). You’ll get your ABS as part of your Total Reward Statement or on its own, depending on your circumstances.
It applies to both officer member and practitioner member pension statements.
What the standard benefits table shows
The standard benefits table estimates what your pension may be worth at the current time, based on the latest information. The table has 2 columns, which list:
- your pension benefits – including pension, lump sum (depending on scheme), adult dependant pension
- the current estimated value of your benefits
The hypothetical annuity cost is not a standard benefit. It is for information only.
What the standard benefits table does not show
Information in the standard benefits table is not an estimate of what your pension will be worth when you retire.
Who can get an estimate of their pension at retirement
Members of the 1995/2008 Scheme can get an estimate of what their pension may be worth at retirement.
But we do not provide these estimates for any other members. You can learn how your pension is calculated at our Member Hub.
When you can take your pension benefits
You cannot claim your pension benefits until you reach normal pension age (NPA). This age is different depending on which NHS Pension Scheme you are in.
Normal pension age is:
• 60 years old in the 1995 Section
• 65 years old in the 2008 Section
In the 2015 Scheme, it's the same as your state pension age, or age 65 if that is later.
Learn more about normal pension age
Taking your pension benefits early
You may want to take early retirement. But you must have reached your normal minimum pension age (NMPA) to take your benefits early.
NMPA is the earliest age most people can take money from their workplace pension. This is currently 55, but it increases to 57 in April 2028. If you have built up pension benefits in the1995 Section and joined before 6 April 2006, you may have a protected minimum pension age of 50.
How this impacts my statement
If you take your pension early, we will reduce the benefits in your statement for early retirement.
Receiving your pension payments
To start receiving your pension payments you must apply. This means you need to fill in the correct pension benefits application form.
There are 3 forms, learn which form you need.
We can only pay your benefits when we have received and accepted this completed form.