Leaving the scheme

As well as normal retirement there are several ways you can leave the scheme and these are as follows:

• Opting out of the scheme
• Resignation
• Redundancy
• Ill health
• Early retirement

Normal retirement

If you leave your employer and are over the age of 60 (if you are in Classic, Classic Plus or Premium), or 65 (if you are in Nuvos), your pension benefits will be paid automatically, regardless of length of service.

You should ideally give at least three months' notice if you have a clear idea of when you wish to retire. JSS will send you details of your pension benefits and your options, together with the necessary forms for completion.

The tax free pension lump sum will be paid as soon as possible after leaving, provided JSS have received all the completed forms. The pension will be paid monthly in arrears, usually at the end of each month.

If you receive a P45 from your current employer, and will not be working elsewhere, you should send it to the Pension Payroll department at UK SBS.

For a confidential estimate, please email memberships@jss.ukri.org providing your scheme number or National Insurance number, the date you would like the estimate to be calculated to and the address you would like us to send the estimate to.

Estimates normally take 10 days to issue, they may take longer if we need to query your earning or salary data with your employer.

Opting out

Although it is now compulsory to place members into a pension scheme, you can choose to opt out. If you intend to do this it is important that you understand the benefits you will be giving up; information on the scheme benefits can be found in the Scheme Guides and Forms page.

If you do wish to opt out, it is important to note that you have the option of setting up a Partnership Pension Account.

Individuals do not have to pay a member contribution in the Partnership Pension Account but their employer will make a contribution based on the individuals age. A comparison of Nuvos and Partnership can be found below:

Nuvos or Partnership comparison booklet (PDF, 55KB) - opens in new window

If you still intend to opt out, you must read and complete the opt out form and factsheet, and return the form to your employer's HR department, or your employer's agent, if applicable.

Opt Out factsheet and form (PDF, 73KB) - opens in new window

If you decide to opt out of the pension scheme and subsequently decide that you would like to opt back in, please complete the opt in form below.

Opt In form (PDF, 77KB) - opens in new window

Resignation/End of fixed term contract

Leaving with less than two years' service

If you leave with less than two years' Pensionable Service you will not qualify for a preserved pension.

Members who do not wish to transfer to another scheme, need to claim a refund of the contributions that they have paid (which will be subject to tax and possibly a premium to buy them back into the State Second Pension).

Leaving with more than two years' service

Members with at least two years' Pensionable Service will have their pension and (lump sum if applicable) preserved in the Scheme.

The preserved benefits are increased each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

When you leave, JSS will issue details of the preserved award. You may have the option of transferring your RCPS pension to your new pension provider.

We try to contact members within four weeks of the last day of membership. If no contact has been made within this timeframe you should contact JSS.

Redundancy

There are three different types of early departure within the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. Guidance on each can be found in the documents below. They summarise the main points and care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information. However, it must be stressed that nothing can override the Rules of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

Voluntary Exit - guidance for staff (PDF, 762KB) - opens in new window

Voluntary Redundancy - guidance for staff (PDF, 731KB) - opens in new window

Compulsory Redundancy - guidance for staff (PDF, 613KB) - opens in new window

The available range of early departure terms precludes JSS being able to provide member requested estimates.

The Civil Service Compensation Scheme page contains calculators - external link - which enable employees to estimate their compensation should they be selected for early departure under the scheme terms.

If an early departure is offered by an employer and should the employee express an interest in volunteering, their employer will consider this under the agreed selection criteria. If these are met, the employer will obtain a written quote for the employee from JSS.

There is no commitment at this stage; however, on receipt of the quote, which would include a departure date, the employee will be given a deadline for submitting their application for acceptance of the offer.

Applications will be reviewed by the employer. Employees will be advised as to whether their application to leave has been approved. Where this is the case, the leaving process will commence and JSS will calculate and write to the member advising them of their options. Once JSS has received the member's option forms back, they will authorise payment (inform the employer of the amount to pay) and write to the employee with confirmation of the final compensation and pension award details.

JSS do not provide personal redundancy estimates, they must be requested through an employer's HR Department.

Ill health

An ill health retirement (IHR)pension may be paid if the Scheme Medical Adviser (SMA) is satisfied that you cannot continue to work to the requirements of your job because you are ill, and that your breakdown in health is likely to be permanent. The decision to refer a member to the Scheme Medical Advisor is made by the employer, not by JSS.

Ill health retirement guides can be found on the Scheme Guides and Forms page.

If you would like further information on Ill Health Retirement or would like to request a confidential ill health retirement estimate, please email us at memberships@jss.ukri.org.

Early retirement

If you leave your employer and are over the age of 50 (55 if you joined after 1 April 2006), with more than two years' service, you can claim your pension benefits early, this is called Actuarially Reduced Retirement (ARR).

Benefits that are claimed before the scheme retirement age are reduced to take into consideration the longer period that the pension is expected to be paid for. There will also be the option for you to buy-out the reduction in your pension. Please use the Actuarial Reduction and Buy Out Calculator (Excel, 244KB) - opens in new window to see how much your pension will be reduced by and the buy-out cost.

Under certain circumstances there may be the option to remain in employment and take all or part of your pension benefits. The section on partial retirement will give you further information on this.

Taking early retirement does not affect the option of receiving a tax free lump sum.

For an early retirement estimate, please email memberships@jss.ukri.org providing your scheme number or National Insurance number, the date you would like the estimate to be calculated to and the address you would like us to send the estimate to. The turnaround time for estimates is ten working days.