We administer the NHS Pension scheme on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care. As the largest centrally administrated pension scheme in Europe, it has 3.4 million members across England and Wales and makes payments to NHS pensioners of over £12 billion annually.
The NHS Pension scheme is fully guaranteed by the government, with the NHS putting in 20.6% of a member’s salary on top of their own contributions. New starters to the NHS are automatically enrolled in the NHS Pension Scheme. However, it is voluntary, and employees may choose to opt out. The scheme plays a valuable role in recruitment and retention of NHS staff.
NHS Pensions provides support services for NHS employers. It helps them to administer the scheme effectively and correctly for their staff. As part of this support, the Stakeholder Engagement Team:
- deliver training
- provide regular updates
- host regional special interest groups
- attend regional group meetings
Employers can access additional guidance on the employer hub.
Support for members is available on the NHS Pension member hub. This has relevant forms and information on topics such as pension contributions, tax considerations and preparing for retirement. Members can also stay up to date by subscribing to the member newsletter.