The National Health Service Pension Scheme Regulations 2008

• (5B) The Secretary of State must provide the member with the notice referred to in paragraph (5A) within the period of three months beginning with the date that the Secretary of State receives notification from the member’s employing authority that the member has joined the 2015 Scheme.

• (5C) A member who has received a notice in accordance with paragraph (5A) may request the Secretary of State to provide a statement of entitlement in accordance with paragraph (5D).

• (5D) For the purposes of paragraph (5C), a request for a statement of entitlement must—

• (a) be made by the member in writing on the form provided by the Secretary of State for that purpose;

• (b) be received by the Secretary of State before the end of the three month period beginning with the date of the notice under paragraph (5A).

• (6) The Secretary of State must provide a member who has requested a statement of entitlement in accordance with paragraph (5D) with a statement of entitlement at the guarantee date.

• (7) In this regulation “the guarantee date” means any date that falls within the required period and is—

• (a) chosen by the Secretary of State,

• (b) specified in the statement of entitlement, and

• (c) within the period of 10 days ending with the date on which the member is provided with the statement of entitlement.

• (8) In counting the period of 10 days referred to in paragraph (7)(c), Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Good Friday are excluded.

• (9) In paragraph (7), “the required period” means—

• (a) the period of three months beginning with the date that the Secretary of State receives the member’s request for a statement of entitlement in accordance with paragraph (5D); or

• (b) such longer period beginning with that date (but not exceeding six months) as may be reasonably required if, for reasons beyond the control of the Secretary of State, the requisite information cannot be obtained to calculate the amount of the cash equivalent.

• (10) Subject to paragraphs (11) to (13), the member’s guaranteed cash equivalent shall be equal to the capitalised value of all of the member’s rights to benefits accrued under these Regulations and any associated rights under Part I of the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971.

• (11) The Secretary of State must—

• (a) take advice from the Scheme actuary before determining the factors to be used in the calculation of the member’s guaranteed cash equivalent, and

• (b) calculate and verify the amount of the guaranteed cash equivalent in accordance with the Occupational Pension Schemes (Transfer Values) Regulations 1996.

• (12) A member’s cash equivalent will be at least equal to the amount of any transfer payments accepted in respect of the member under regulation 2.F.10, plus the amount of the member’s contributions to this Section of the Scheme.

• (13) A member who has received a statement of entitlement in accordance with paragraph (6) may apply to the Secretary of State for the cash equivalent of the member’s rights under this Section of the Scheme to be used to acquire rights under the 2015 Scheme.

• (14) An application under this regulation must be made in respect of each and every portion of the cash equivalent and is—

• (a) to be made in writing on the form provided for this purpose by the Secretary of State;

• (b) to be made before the end of the period of three months beginning with the guarantee date;

• (c) irrevocable.

• (15) On the making of such an application—

• (a) a member becomes entitled to be credited with an increase to the member’s pensionable earnings and a period of pensionable service in the 2015 Scheme in respect of the cash equivalent value of the member’s benefits under this Section of the Scheme calculated in accordance with regulation 145 of the 2015 Scheme , and

• (b) the member’s rights under this Section of the Scheme are extinguished on the day that the member is credited with an increase to the member’s pensionable earnings and a period of pensionable service in accordance with regulation 145 of the 2015 Scheme.

• (16) A member’s right to require the Secretary of State to use the cash equivalent of the member’s rights in the way referred to in paragraph (1) may only be exercised once.

Benefit information statements

2.J.15

• (1) The Secretary of State must provide a benefit information statement to each member in accordance with—

• (a) section 14 (information about benefits) of the 2013 Act, and

• (b) any Treasury directions given from time to time pursuant to that section.

• (2) Paragraph (1) does not provide a right for a member to request a benefit information statement.

• (3) The Secretary of State is only required to provide a member with one benefit information statement per scheme year.

• (4) A benefit information statement provided pursuant to paragraph (1) is to be treated as though it is the information mentioned in regulation 16(2)(a) of the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2013 for the purposes of determining whether or not information must be given under regulation 16(1) of those Regulations.

Exceptions to requirement that NHS employment must have ceased

3.D.19

• (1) A member is not prevented from becoming entitled to a pension under regulation 3.D.1 in respect of pensionable service in respect of which the member is a deferred member because of continuing in NHS employment if paragraph (2) applies.

• (2) This paragraph applies if the member—

• (a) is in employment with an employing authority in respect of which the member is eligible to join the 2015 Scheme; and

• (b) has a break of service under the 2015 Regulations that exceeds five years.

Right to transfer a deferred pension to the 2015 Scheme

3.F.18

• (1) An active member of the 2015 Scheme who meets both condition A and one of either condition B or condition C, may require the Secretary of State to use the cash equivalent of the member’s rights under this Section of the Scheme to acquire rights in the 2015 Scheme: this is subject to the following provisions of this regulation.

• (2) Condition A is that the member—

• (a) is a deferred member of this Section of the Scheme, and

• (b) became an active member of the 2015 Scheme before attaining the age of 65.

• (3) Condition B is that the member has a break in pensionable employment for any one period of more than five years beginning with the day immediately following the cessation of the pensionable service in respect of which that person is a deferred member of this Section of the Scheme and ending on the day immediately before the person became an active member of the 2015 Scheme in accordance with paragraph (2)(b).

• (4) Condition C is that the member—

• (a) has a break in active membership of the 2015 Scheme for any one period of more than five years which is the first break of such a period since that membership commenced, and

• (b) has not previously had a break in pensionable employment before becoming an active member of the 2015 Scheme which would satisfy condition B.

• (5) For the purposes of paragraphs (3) and (4) any break in active membership of this Section of the Scheme where the member was in pensionable public service as defined in paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 7 to the 2013 Act is to be disregarded.

• (5A) The Secretary of State must provide a member to whom this regulation applies with a notice in writing stating that the member has the right to request a statement of the amount of the cash equivalent of the member’s benefits accrued in accordance with these Regulations (“a statement of entitlement”).

• (5B) The Secretary of State must provide the member with the notice referred to in paragraph (5A) within the period of three months beginning with the date that the Secretary of State receives notification from the member’s employing authority that the member has joined the 2015 Scheme.

• (5C) A member who has received a notice in accordance with paragraph (5A) may request the Secretary of State to provide a statement of entitlement subject to paragraph (5D).

• (5D) For the purposes of paragraph (5C), a request for a statement of entitlement must—

• (a) be made by the member in writing on the form provided by the Secretary of State for that purpose;

• (b) be received by the Secretary of State before the end of the three month period beginning with the date of the notice under paragraph (5A).

• (6) The Secretary of State must provide a member who has requested a statement of entitlement in accordance with paragraph (5D) with a statement of entitlement at the guarantee date.

• (7) In this regulation “the guarantee date” means any date that falls within the required period and is—

• (a) chosen by the Secretary of State,

• (b) specified in the statement of entitlement, and

• (c) within the period of 10 days ending with the date on which the member is provided with the statement of entitlement.

• (8) In counting the period of 10 days referred to in paragraph (7)(c), Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Good Friday are excluded.

• (9) In paragraph (7), “the required period” means—

• (a) the period of three months beginning with the date that the Secretary of State receives the member’s request for a statement of entitlement in accordance with paragraph (5D); or

• (b) such longer period beginning with that date (but not exceeding six months) as may be reasonably required if, for reasons beyond the control of the Secretary of State, the requisite information cannot be obtained to calculate the amount of the cash equivalent.

• (10) Subject to paragraphs (11) to (13), the member’s guaranteed cash equivalent shall be equal to the capitalised value of all of the member’s rights to benefits accrued under these Regulations and any associated rights under Part I of the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971.

• (11) The Secretary of State shall—

• (a) take advice from the Scheme actuary before determining the factors to be used in the calculation of the member’s guaranteed cash equivalent, and

• (b) calculate and verify the amount of the guaranteed cash equivalent in accordance with the Occupational Pension Schemes (Transfer Values) Regulations 1996.

• (12) A member’s cash equivalent will be at least equal to the amount of any transfer payments accepted in respect of the member under regulation 3.F.10 (which deals with the crediting of additional service upon transfer), plus the amount of the member’s contributions to this Section of the Scheme.

• (13) A member who has received a statement of entitlement in accordance with paragraph (6) may apply to the Secretary of State for the cash equivalent of the member’s rights under this Section of the Scheme to be used to acquire rights under the 2015 Scheme.

• (14) An application under this regulation must be made in respect of each and every portion of the cash equivalent and is—

• (a) to be made in writing on the form provided for this purpose by the Secretary of State;

• (b) to be made before the end of the period of three months beginning with the guarantee date;

• (c) irrevocable.

• (15) On the making of such an application—

• (a) a member becomes entitled to be credited with an increase to the member’s pensionable earnings and a period of pensionable service in the 2015 Scheme in respect of the cash equivalent value of the member’s benefits under this Section of the Scheme calculated in accordance with regulation 145 of the 2015 Scheme, and

• (b) the member’s rights under this Section of the Scheme are extinguished on the day that the member is credited with an increase to the member’s pensionable earnings and a period of pensionable service in accordance with regulation 145 of the 2015 Scheme.

• (16) A member’s right to require the Secretary of State to use the cash equivalent of the member’s rights in the way referred to in paragraph (1) may only be exercised once.

Benefit information statements

3.J.15

• (1) The Secretary of State must provide a benefit information statement to each member in accordance with—

• (a) section 14 (information about benefits) of the 2013 Act, and

• (b) any Treasury directions given from time to time pursuant to that section.

• (2) Paragraph (1) does not provide a right for a member to request a benefit information statement.

• (3) The Secretary of State is only required to provide a member with one benefit information statement per scheme year.

• (4) A benefit information statement provided pursuant to sub-paragraph (1) is to be treated as though it is the information mentioned in regulation 16(2)(a) of the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2013 for the purposes of determining whether or not information must be given under regulation 16(1) of those Regulations.

Scheme administration charge

2.C.6A

• (1) Each employing authority must, in respect of each member who is liable to contribute to this Section of the Scheme, pay a scheme administration charge in accordance with this regulation.

• (2) The scheme administration charge is to be paid to the Secretary of State on the same day, and in respect of the same period, as the employer’s standard rate contributions under regulation 2.C.5 are to be paid by that employing authority in respect of the member referred to in paragraph (1).

• (3) The scheme administration charge is to be calculated as a percentage of that member’s pensionable pay, or as the case may be, pensionable earnings, for the period mentioned in paragraph (2).

• (4) The percentage mentioned in paragraph (3) is to be determined by the Secretary of State taking into account the administrative costs of running the scheme and notified to each employing authority.

Guarantees, indemnities and bonds

Scheme administration charge

3.C.3A

Scheme administration charge

• (1) Each employing authority must, in respect of each member who is liable to contribute to this Section of the Scheme, pay a scheme administration charge in accordance with this regulation.

• (2) The scheme administration charge is to be paid to the Secretary of State on the same day, and in respect of the same period, as the employer’s standard rate contributions under regulation 3.C.3 are to be paid by that employing authority in respect of the member referred to in paragraph (1).

• (3) The scheme administration charge is to be calculated as a percentage of that member’s pensionable earnings, for the period mentioned in paragraph (2).

• (4) The percentage mentioned in paragraph (3) is to be determined by the Secretary of State taking into account the administrative costs of running the scheme and notified to each employing authority.

Guarantees, indemnities and bonds

Payment of Contributions

Meaning of “surviving scheme partner”