NHS/HSC Pension schemes - moving to the 2015 scheme from 1 April 2022

The outcome of the McCloud pension age discrimination case is that from 1 April 2022 all NHS scheme members (who are not already in the 2015 career average revalued earnings (CARE) scheme) will move there on 1 April 2022. This will mean that from 1 April these members will be building up future pension benefits on a career average basis and linked to their State Pension age.

 

Members who have built up benefits in the 1995 or 2008 final salary schemes will have these benefits fully protected at the retirement age for that scheme: 60 for 1995 and 65 for 2008. Members who move to the 2015 scheme will also retain the final salary link for their scheme so that when they come to retire it will be the final salary (based on the rules of the 1995 or 2008 scheme) at actual retirement that will be used to calculate their pension.

 

Members will be able to take their 1995/2008 benefits at their normal pension age. If members take benefits from their CARE scheme prior to their State Pension age then these benefits would be reduced in a similar way they are reduced in the 1995/2008 schemes.

 

At retirement the majority of current scheme members will have a choice as to how they wish their pension benefits for the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022 to be calculated. They will be given the option of a calculation in either their legacy scheme (1995/2008 final salary) or the 2015 CARE scheme. When they are offered the choice they will have full financial information as to what it means under either option.

 

Further information can be found on the NHS/HSC schemes websites: