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Applying for your pension

When you're ready to take your NHS Pension, you'll need to apply for it.

The NHS Pension Scheme overview (PDF: 178KB) provides more detail about the different pension schemes you could have pension benefits in.

Read the retirement guide (PDF: 4.68MB) before applying for your pension.

There are different types of retirement.

Reaching normal pension age

1995 Section pension benefits - age 60 or 55 if you have Special Class status

You’ll get a pension and retirement lump sum based on your scheme membership and the best of your last 3 years’ pensionable pay.

2008 Section pension benefits - age 65

You'll get a pension based on your scheme membership and reckonable pay. Your reckonable pay is the average of the best 3 consecutive years’ pay in the last 10.

2015 Scheme pension benefits - same as your State Pension age or age 65 if that is later

You will get a pension based on 1/54th of your pensionable pay for each year that you have contributed to the scheme.

The pension you get is increased each year by a method known as revaluation. 

Before you apply

Read the age retirement factsheet (PDF: 160KB) for more about how we calculate your NHS Pension.

Taking early retirement

The earliest age you can draw your pension is the minimum pension age.

We reduce an early retirement pension, as it is being paid early and will be in payment for longer.

The reduction depends on how many years before normal pension age it is being claimed.

1995 Section

If you joined the 1995 Section before 6 April 2006 you can choose to take early retirement from age 50. 

If you joined the 1995 Section on or after 6 April 2006, your minimum pension age is 55 unless you have a protected minimum pension age. If you returned to the scheme after this date, this might also apply to you.

If you have deferred benefits in the 1995 Section and then join the 2008 Section, your minimum pension will be age 55 even if you joined before 6 April 2006.

2008 Section and 2015 Scheme

The minimum pension age is 55.

Before you apply

Read the early retirement factsheet (PDF: 94KB) for more information.

Being made redundant

Your benefits may be paid immediately if you retired early due to either:

  • redundancy
  • the interest of efficiency of the service

Read the redundancy retirement factsheet (PDF: 107KB) for more information.

Ill health

You may be able to retire early and take your pension benefits if you’ve been, both:

  • a member for a minimum 2 years’
  • too ill to work in your present job

Information to read before you apply:

Ill health retirement tiers and FAQs (PDF: 197KB)

Ill health retirement assessment factsheet (PDF: 116KB)

Serious ill health (where life expectancy is less than 12 months) (PDF: 111KB)

Information for 1995/2008 members moving to the 2015 Scheme on 1 April 2022

From 1 April 2022 all active members of the NHS Pension Scheme will be members of the 2015 Scheme. If you’re currently a 1995/2008 Scheme and you apply for consideration for ill health retirement, if we receive your application by 31 March 2022 and you are still an active member of the pension scheme from 1 April 2022, your application must be considered against the qualifying rules for both the 1995/2008 Scheme and the 2015 Scheme.

If we receive your application after 31 March 2022 and you are still active from 1 April 2022, your application must be considered against the 2015 Scheme qualifying rules.

This is subject to the outcome of the DHSC consultation on changes to the NHS Pension Scheme regulations which closes on 20 January 2022.

There are flexibilities within the schemes that help you transition from work to retirement.

For more information, read the 1995/2008 member guide (PDF: 4.97MB) or the 2015 member guide (PDF: 3.27MB). The 1995/2008 member guide is being updated to reflect the changes to retire and return from 1 April 2023. 

From 1 October 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is introducing changes to make it simpler to take partial retirement, meaning you can claim your pension and work in a more flexible way without having to leave your job.

Taking part of your pension benefits is also sometimes known as 'draw down'. 

This is already possible for pension benefits you've earned in the 2008 Section or 2015 Scheme and from 1 October 2023, it will also include any 1995 Section benefits you have.

From age 55 you'll be able to take between 20% and 100% of all your pension benefits in one or two drawdown payments, without having to leave your current job.  

Read your options for a flexible retirement

Resources and factsheets on this webpage will be updated to coincide with the changes being introduced. 

From 1 April 2023, all members including members who have retired with 1995 Section benefits, will have the option to retire and re-join the pension scheme.

If you're considering returning to work after taking your pension benefits, you can find more information on our re-employment webpage

Allocation

If you're in good health you can choose to give up part of your own pension to provide a pension for someone when you die.

This can be to a spouse, civil partner, qualifying partner, child or someone who is dependent on you for support. You must nominate before you retire and you cannot reverse this decision once made.

Read the Member Allocation factsheet (PDF:129KB) for more information

You can apply by using the AW9/11A application form (PDF:130KB)

If you have pension benefits in the 1995 Section or you opted to move to the 2008 Section, you'll automatically receive a lump sum when you retire.

If you’re in the 2008 Section or 2015 Scheme, you can ask to take some of your pension as a lump sum.

Use the pension commutation calculator (Excel: 20.1KB) to work out what you may get if you choose to exchange some of your pension in return for a lump sum on retirement.

If you use the calculator, only input benefit figures provided on your Annual Benefit Statement.

Read the retirement guide (PDF: 4.68MB) for more information.

Read our trivial commutation factsheet (PDF: 188KB) for more information about the trivial commutation of small pensions.

Watch this video if you’re an active member:

Download the video transcript (PDF: 99KB).
For more information you can view our Active member flowchart (PDF: 79KB).


Watch this video if you’re a deferred member:

Download the video transcript (PDF:98KB).
For more information you can view our Deferred member flowchart (PDF: 63KB).

 

Read the bank payments overseas factsheet (PDF: 68.4KB) before completing the relevant form:

Andorra (Word: 389KB) Germany (Word:261KB) Oman (Word: 250KB)
Antigua (Word: 397KB) Ghana (Word: 256KB) Pakistan (Word: 213KB)
Australia (Word: 443KB) Greece (Word: 261KB) Peru (Word: 244KB)
Austria (Word: 214KB) Grenada (Word:252KB) Philippines (Word: 264KB)
Bahamas (Word:203KB) Guinea-Bissau (Word: 264KB) Poland (Word: 262KB)
Bahrain (Word: 201KB) Guyana (Word: 212KB) Portugal (Word: 263KB)
Bangladesh (Word: 202KB) Hong Kong (Word: 220KB) Qatar (Word: 260KB)
Barbados (Word: 203KB) Hungary (Word: 213KB) Romania (Word: 201KB)
Belgium (Word: 203KB) Iceland (Word: 218KB) Saudi Arabia (Word: 264KB)
Belize (Word: 200KB) India (Word: 398KB) Singapore (Word: 263KB)
Bermuda (Word: 202KB) Indonesia (Word: 212KB) South Africa (Word: 255KB)
Bulgaria (Word: 200KB) Ireland (Word: 211KB) Spain (Word: 262KB)
Canada (Word: 214KB) Israel (Word: 211KB) Sri Lanka (Word: 202KB)
Chile (Word: 198KB) Italy (Word: 211KB) St Kitts (Word: 253KB)
China (Word: 197KB) Jamaica (Word: 212KB) St Lucia (Word: 254KB)
Columbia (Word: 198KB) Jordan (Word: 203KB) St Vincent (Word: 252KB)
Cook Islands (Word: 201KB) Kenya (Word: 386KB) Sweden (Word: 262KB)
Costa Rica (Word: 201KB) Luxembourg (Word: 211KB) Switzerland (Word: 260KB)
Cyprus (Word: 212KB) Malaysia (Word: 212KB) Taiwan (Word: 249KB)
Czech Republic (Word: 200KB) Malta (Word: 212KB) Thailand (Word: 253KB)
Denmark (Word: 212KB) Mauritius (Word: 212KB) Trinidad and Tobago (Word: 253KB)
Dominica (Word: 212KB) Mexico (Word: 254KB) Tunisia (Word: 239KB)
Dominican Republic (PDF: 211KB) Morocco (Word: 226KB) Turkey (Word: 262KB)
Ecuador (PDF: 198KB) Nepal (Word: 242KB) UAE (Word: 261KB)
Egypt (PDF: 265KB) Netherlands (Word: 247KB) Uganda (Word: 201 KB)  
Finland (PDF: 261KB) New Zealand (Word: 233KB) USA (Word: 255KB)
France and Monaco (PDF: 261KB) Nigeria (Word: 201KB) Vietnam (Word: 264KB)
  Norway (Word: 247KB) Yemen (Word: 224KB)
    Zimbabwe (Word: 225KB)

Read the relevant Key Notes for more detailed information about your pension award.

These include:

  • how your benefits have been worked out
  • survivor benefits
  • retirement lump sums
  • pay information
  • membership
  • pensions increase
  • pension sharing or earmarking

1995 Section (PDF: 144KB)2008 Section (PDF: 199KB)2015 Scheme (PDF: 137KB)Ill health retirement (PDF: 170KB)