We have received enquiries from employers seeking clarification in relation to locally agreed payments and whether they are pensionable or not.
Local agreed payments may be pensionable up to whole-time provided the member meets the normal criteria for being pensionable in this Scheme unless they have chosen to opt out. These include members being paid at a locally agreed higher than standard NHS rate of pay for similar types of work undertaken.
Such as:
- Locum consultants (specialist) on zero hours contracts
- Consultants (part-time specialists) working extra sessions
- Locum doctors (non-specialist) on zero hours contracts
- Doctors (part-time non-specialist) working extra hours
- AFC (officers) on zero hours contracts
- AFC part-time (officer) working extra hours
Rates of pay may differ depending on type of work covered.
Waiting list initiative payments (WLI) are also pensionable but depend on the form of payment and whether the member is whole-time or part-time before voluntarily working extra sessions.
- If the WLI is being paid as overtime, it is pensionable so long as it does not exceed whole-time.
- If the WLI is being paid in the form of a one-off bonus, then it is not pensionable.
Important:
Where the member has more than one role/contract/employment, employers must ensure that the member has separate pensionable employment records to reflect this. This is especially important if the member has different rates of pay, standard weekly hours, sessional lengths etc. Without this information NHS Pensions cannot accurately calculate pension benefits.