If there are more than 10 members in a redundancy exercise, employers should complete and submit the bulk redundancy estimate request spreadsheet instead of the redundancy estimate of benefits estimates AW295 (2015 Scheme) form. If there are fewer than 10 members within the redundancy exercise, use the relevant AW295 estimate request form. This can be found on the Employer forms page.
NHS Pensions has recently received several bulk redundancy estimate request spreadsheets where a second version has been submitted within a few days of the first. This suggests that the initial spreadsheets may not have been completed correctly. While we appreciate that errors can happen, these resubmissions create additional work for both employers and NHS Pensions.
We recognise that redundancy is an extremely sensitive and often stressful process for members, and we are committed to working collaboratively with employers to ensure that all redundancy estimate requests are accurate and processed in a timely manner. NHS Pensions works to internal turnaround timescales, and each employer will be provided with their own specific response time.
To help the process run as smoothly as possible, please make sure the following steps are completed:
- necessary record checks should be completed by the employer. Employers should ensure the record is updated to the last financial year
- an eligibility check by the employer. Employers should check members Minimum Pension Age (MPA) and whether members are over Normal Pension Age (NPA) or State Pension Age (SPA)
Provide essential data including:
- redundancy date
- earnings from last update to redundancy date
- hours worked from last update to redundancy date if the member is part-time
- any additional information, for example: change in contract, no pay disallowed days
- whether members are subject to Agenda for Change (AfC)
- redundancy payment
- any deemed pay due to half pay sickness and maternity leave
- any information relating to career breaks
To help avoid any delays, employers are encouraged to double check that all information provided is accurate before submitting a request to NHS Pensions. This includes ensuring that all data recorded in Pensions Online (POL) is up to date and correct.