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2022

28 November 2022 Annual Benefit Statements and information for members that have exceeded the 2021-22 Annual Allowance

Annual Benefit Statements were issued to all eligible scheme members by the end of August 2022. But, if you have not received yours please email statements@jss.ukri.org.

We have also issued Pension Saving Statements (PSS) with the Annual Benefit Statements. PSS’ are issued if you have exceeded the Annual Allowance - external link - or have requested a PSS.

Scheme members that have exceeded the Annual Allowance and have insufficient carry over of unused allowance from previous years need to take action:

You must tell HMRC through Self Assessment - external link - that you have exceeded the Annual Allowance. The deadline to do this is normally 31 January after the last tax year end. The deadlines are on the HMRC Website - external link - and;
Contact JSS if the tax is more than £2,000 as this could be paid through the Scheme Pays arrangement by reducing the pension scheme benefits

There is also information on the Pensions and Tax page.

03 May 2022 2022 Annual Benefit Statements

Annual Benefit Statements were issued to all eligible scheme members by the end of August 2022. If you have not received yours please email statements@jss.ukri.org.

We will provide a further update once we start issuing the statements. In the meantime we have some general information about the benefit statements on the Annual Benefit Statements page.

08 April 2022 2022 HMRC Lifetime Allowance Protection

HMRC have updated their information for Lifetime Allowance Protection. Information has been added about what to do if someone loses their protection.

The Lifetime Allowance is the maximum overall value of pension benefits (excluding state pensions) that an individual can build up over their lifetime before a tax charge is paid.

More information can be found on the GOV.UK Protect your pension lifetime allowance - external link - page.

01 April 2022 2022 JSS Customer Satisfaction Survey Results

JSS would like to thank everyone who responded to our Customer Satisfaction Survey, we are currently analysing the comments.

A short Survey Newsletter (PDF, 164KB) - opens in new window - has been produced with the highlights.

04 March 2022 Employee Contributions Rates from 1 April 2022

The employee contribution rates from 01 April 2022 have now been published and the Joining the scheme page has been updated.

The rates are not changing and the annualised earning bands will also remain the same as those for 2021-22.

31 January 2022 RCPS Reform Update - No changes in April 2022

JSS have received a few questions from RCPS members asking what is happening to their RCPS pension in April 2022. The answer is nothing.

The main public service pension schemes are implementing changes in April 2022 in order to remedy the ‘McCloud’ age discrimination issue. This issue stems from the changes that those schemes brought in during 2015 where some people were moved into a new scheme based on their age. Although the RCPS operates by-analogy to the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) the RCPS did not introduce any changes in 2015; it is not a reformed scheme and therefore is not required to move any members into a new arrangement in April 2022.

If you are an active member in the RCPS your pension will continue to accrue as is. JSS will continue to administer the scheme and continue to pay the pension benefits. Your pension arrangements will not change in April 2022.

If you have been in one of the reformed schemes and your pension is affected the scheme administrator will write to you directly.

If you have any concerns or questions about your RCPS pension, please email: reform@jss.ukri.org.

24 January 2022 2022 Pension Increase

For the year beginning 11 April 2022 there will be an increase based on CPI as at September 2021 of up to 3.1%.

Pensions are reviewed annually in line with Treasury Orders. This review is called the annual Pension Increase (or PI).

The Treasury Order takes account of the previous September's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figure to determine what the adjustment will be, for information, the CPI for the previous years were:

Year beginning 12 April 2021 an increase of 0.5%
Year beginning 06 April 2020 an increase of 1.7%

The Pensioners page on the JSS website has been updated to show the 2022 pension increase.

05 January 2022 Added Pension year end deadline

Members in classic, classic plus, premium and nuvos may choose to buy added pension to top up their pension benefits.

Members interested in making a one-off lump sum contribution into the current scheme year can find more information in the Added Pension Reminder 2022 (PDF, 267KB) - opens in new window -.

2021

16 December 2021 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme 2010 terms has been extended beyond 31 December 2021. Rather than setting a new deadline Cabinet Office have stated they will give at least 3 months notice of the new CSCS terms coming in to effect.

Staff signing up to an exit under the 2010 terms would need to leave within normal notice periods.

This date is subject to change during the consultation exercise.

Further information can be found on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme: Information for employers - external link - page.

05 October 2021 Information for members that have exceeded the 2020-21 Annual Allowance

JSS have issued all Annual Benefit Statements as well as Pension Saving Statements (PSS). A PSS would have been included in your Annual Benefit Statement if you have exceeded the Annual Allowance - external link - for 2020-21 or requested one.

Those members that have exceeded the Annual Allowance and have insufficient carry over of unused allowance from previous years should take action:

They must tell HMRC through Self Assessment - external link - that they have exceeded the Annual Allowance, the deadline is 31 January 2022, and;
contact JSS if the tax is more than £2,000 as this could be paid through the Scheme Pays arrangement by reducing the pension scheme benefits.

There is also information on the Pensions and Tax page.

28 June 2021 2021 Annual Benefit Statements

JSS expect to start issuing the 2021 Annual Benefit Statements during July and August.

We will provide further updates on our website if we anticipate any delays past August.

Your Annual Benefit Statement gives you important information about your pension and associated benefits, JSS do not produce copies of Annual Benefit Statements so please keep this document in a safe place.

Our default method is to send your Statement to your work email address. If we do not have an email address for you, we will post your Statement to your home address.

Your Statement is password protected with the numbers from your National Insurance (NI) number. For example, if your NI number is AB123456C, then your password will be 123456 do not include the letters.

If you have a query with the pension information contained within your statement or you would like to change your personal details, please email statements@jss.ukri.org.

24 March 2021 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme 2010 terms has been extended to 31 December 2021. Prior to this the deadline was 31 March 2021.

Staff signing up to an exit under the 2010 terms would need to leave within normal notice periods.

This date is subject to change during the consultation exercise.

Further information can be found on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme: Information for employers - external link - website.

9 March 2021 Government consultation on increasing minimum pension age to 57

The government has launched its consultation on Increasing the normal minimum pension age - external link.

The normal minimum pension age is the minimum age at which most pension savers can access their pensions without incurring an unauthorised payments tax charge.

The consultation sets out the government’s intention to increase the normal minimum pension age (from 55) to 57 on 6 April 2028 and seeks views on the implementation of the rise and protections for pension scheme members. It also contains information on how responses can be submitted.

The consultation will run until 22 April 2021.

25 February 2021 Employee Contributions Rates from 1 April 2021

The employee contribution rates from 1 April 2021 have now been published, the Joining the Scheme page has been updated with these new rates.

The rates themselves are not changing and the annualised earning thresholds have been adjusted. The Employer contribution rates remain at 26.0%.

25 February 2021 RCPS Reform Update - continuation to 2024/25

On the 28 July 2020 we told you about the government's consultation on the proposed changes to remedy the McCloud age discrimination issue. The government have published the outcome of the consultation - external link - explaining what changes will be made.

This leaflet - external link - provides a brief summary including the options some scheme members may have.

Due to the complexity of the work involved it is unlikely that the RCPS will be in a position to move into the Civil Service Pension Scheme for some time, possibly until around 2024/25. In the meantime JSS will continue as is and members will remain in the RCPS and pensions continued to be paid by JSS.

Some RCPS members have asked how the McCloud changes affect them. If you have only ever been in the RCPS then the changes have no impact whatsoever on the pension you have accrued or continue to accrue while you remain in the RCPS. This is because the RCPS has not reformed and therefore no members are exposed to the McCloud issue. But, if you were a member of one of the reformed public pension schemes from 2012 to 2015 the changes could affect the pension you accrued in that scheme. You should contact the appropriate scheme administrator for further information.

24 February 2021 Cyber security incident with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

You may have seen press coverage of a cyber security incident with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). JSS are part of UKRI and use UKRI systems and infrastructure.

UKRI published information about this on 29 January 2021 and 17 February 2021 as well as informing the Information Commissioners Office, the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency.

Please see the statement in response to the IT incident - external link - for more information.

Following a comprehensive investigation, we can confirm that there is no evidence that any pension member data was accessed or taken as part of the incident. There is also no evidence that data relating to pensions administered by JSS or other personal information held by JSS was compromised in any way. JSS continue to be committed to treating our members data at all times with appropriate confidentiality in accordance with the GDPR.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you to be vigilant of scams, especially those related to pensions. We have some useful information on our Scams and Fraud page.

If you have any questions about this please contact our Data Protection Officer kim.vellender@jss.ukri.org.

25 January 2021 2021 Pension Increase

For the year beginning 12 April 2021 there will be an increase based on CPI as at September 2020 of up to 0.5%.

Pensions are reviewed annually in line with Treasury Orders. This review is called the annual Pension Increase (or PI).

The Treasury Order takes account of the previous September's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figure to determine what the adjustment will be, for information, the CPI for the previous years were:

Year beginning 06 April 2020 an increase of 1.7%
Year beginning 08 April 2019 an increase of 2.4%

The Pensioners page on the JSS website has been updated to show the 2021 pension increase.

08 January 2021 Added Pension year end deadline

Members in classic, classic plus, premium and nuvos may choose to buy added pension to top up their pension benefits.

Members interested in making a one-off lump sum contribution into the current scheme year can find more information in the Added Pension Reminder 2021 (PDF, 309KB) - opens in new window.

2020

11 November 2020 Brexit – Have you been told your UK bank account is closing?

If you live outside the UK and have a UK bank account, you may have been told by your bank that the account will need to close by the end 31 December 2020 due to Brexit changes resulting in some British banks no longer being able to offer accounts to expats living in Europe.

Regulations require banks to give customers at least 2 months notice of the account closure so you should have been informed by now. If you have not and are concerned you should speak to your bank.

Pensions administered by JSS can be paid to most overseas bank accounts. The pension is paid in Sterling and converted to the local currency, some banks will charge a fee for this.

If you have been informed that your UK bank account is closing you should set up a new account that can accept payments of your pension and then provide the new details to JSS. A new account could be with a local bank or a UK bank that operates in your country.

Requests to change bank details must be sent to JSS in writing with full details of the information necessary to facilitate an international payment.

The Money Advice Service - external link - provides more information about Brexit and pensions, including the State Pension.

21 October 2020 Information for members that have exceeded the 2019-20 Annual Allowance

Those members that have exceeded the Annual Allowance and have insufficient carry over of unused allowance from previous years should take action:

They must tell HMRC through Self Assessment - external link - that they have exceeded the Annual Allowance, the deadline is 31 January 2021, and;
contact JSS if the tax is more than £2,000 as this could be paid through the Scheme Pays arrangement by reducing the pension scheme benefits.

There is also information on the Pensions and Tax page.

22 October 2020 2020 Annual Benefit Statements

JSS have now completed and sent out the 2020 Annual Benefit Statements.

Further information regarding your Statement and the important information it holds about your pension and associated benefits can be found on the Annual Benefit Statements page.

If you have not received your statement, please email statements@jss.ukri.org.

29 July 2020 2020 Annual Benefit Statements

JSS have started to issue the 2020 Annual Benefit Statements, they will be going out from July to Sept.

All UKRI and UKSBS statements will be sent out in Sept.

Please note statements may be delayed due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, please only contact us if you have not received your statement by the end of September.

Your Annual Benefit Statement gives you important information about your pension and associated benefits. JSS do not produce copies of Annual Benefit Statements so please keep this document in a safe place.

Our default method is to send your Statement to your work email address. If we do not have an email address for you, we will post your Statement to your home address.

If you have a query with the pension information contained within your statement or you would like to change your personal details, please email statements@jss.ukri.org.

28 July 2020 RCPS Annual Accounts 2019-2020

The RCPS Annual Accounts for 2019-2020 were laid before Parliament on 21 July 2020 and have now been published online.

These accounts are made publicly available and can be viewed on the Annual Accounts page.

28 July 2020 RCPS Reform Update - Continuation until 2022

A Pension Reform Update (PDF, 130KB) has been published which shares information about a public service pension consultation and impact on the RCPS reform plan.

18 May 2020 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under theCivil Service Compensation Scheme 2010 terms has been extended to 31 March 2021. Prior to this the deadline was 31 July 2020.

Staff signing up to an exit under the 2010 terms would need to leave within normal notice periods.

This date is subject to change during the consultation exercise.

Further information can be found on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme: Information for employers - external link.

06 May 2020 2020 Annual Benefit Statements

JSS expect to start issuing the 2020 Annual Benefit Statements in July and August.

Please note statements may be delayed due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, please only contact us if you have not received your statement by the end of August.

We will provide further updates on our website nearer the time if we anticipate any delays past August.

Our default method is to send your Statement to your work email address. If we do not have an email address for you, we will post your Statement to your home address.

If you have a query with the pension information contained within your statement or you would like to change your personal details, please email statements@jss.ukri.org.

05 March 2020 Employee Contributions Rates from 1 April 2020

Following our news item of 29 January 2020 we can confirm the salary thresholds used to determine the contribution tier for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021. We can also confirm that from 1 April 2020 backdated pay awards will no longer be included when determining the contribution tier.

TheRCPS Employee Contribution Rates from April 2020 notice provides more information. This notice has also been sent to all employers.

02 March 2020 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under the 2010 terms has been extended to 31 July 2020. Prior to this the deadline was 31 December 2019. Staff signing up to an exit under the 2010 terms would need to leave within normal notice periods.

This date is subject to change during the consultation exercise.

Further information can be found on the CSCS webpage for employers - external link.

26 February 2020 2020 Pension Increase

For the year beginning 6 April 2020 there will be an increase based on CPI as at September 2019 of up to 1.7%.

Pensions are reviewed annually in line with Treasury Orders. This review is called the annual Pension Increase (or PI).

The Treasury Order takes account of the previous September's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figure to determine what the adjustment will be, for information, the CPI for the previous years were:

Year beginning 08 April 2019 an increase of 2.4%
Year beginning 09 April 2018 an increase of 3.00%

The Pensioners page on the JSS website has been updated to show the 2020 pension increase.

29 January 2020 Proposed Employee Contribution Rates from April 2020

Two proposals have been made to change employee (member) contributions from 01 April 2020. They are:

Changes to the salary thresholds used to determine the employee (member) contribution rate
Excluding backdated pay from the calculation used to determine the contribution tier

The Employee Contribution Rates from April 2020 (PDF, 156KB) - opens in new window - article provides more information.

07 January 2020 Added Pension year end deadline

Members in classic, classic plus, premium and nuvos may choose to buy added pension to top up their pension benefits.

Members interested in making a one-off lump sum contribution into the current scheme year have until 19 February 2020 to submit their application to JSS.

Please read the Added Pension Reminder 2020 (PDF, 125KB) - opens in new window -

06 January 2020 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under the 2010 terms has been extended to 31 March 2020. Prior to this the deadline was 31 December 2019. Staff signing up to an exit under the 2010 terms would need to leave within normal notice periods.

This date is subject to change during the consultation exercise.

Further information can be found on the CSCS webpage for employers - external link.

2019

27 August 2019 Information for members that have exceeded the 2018-19 Annual Allowance

Those members that have exceeded the Annual Allowance and have insufficient carry over of unused allowance from previous years should take action:

They must tell HMRC through Self Assessment - external link - that they have exceeded the Annual Allowance, the deadline is 31 January 2020, and;
contact JSS if the tax is more than £2,000 as this could be paid through the Scheme Pays arrangement by reducing the pension scheme benefits.

There is also information on the Pensions and Tax page.

06 August 2019 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under the 2010 terms has been extended to 31 December 2019. Prior to this the deadline was 30 September 2019. Staff signing up to an exit under the 2010 terms would need to leave within normal notice periods.

This date is subject to change during the consultation exercise.

Further information can be found on the CSCS webpage for employers - external link.

22 July 2019 RCPS Annual Accounts 2018-2019

The RCPS Annual Accounts for 2018-2019 were laid before Parliament on 18 July 2019 and have now been published online.

These accounts are made publicly available and can be viewed on the UKRI website - external link.

18 July 2019 RCPS Reform Update - Government denied appeal by the Supreme Court

In January 2019 we told you about the Court of Appeal ruling that determined some of the changes made in the judges and firefighters pension schemes in 2015 amounted to unlawful age discrimination against some staff. The government applied to the Supreme Court to appeal the ruling but their application was denied. The government have subsequently decided that the age discrimination situation will need to be remedied in all public service pension schemes that introduced similar age related changes. This includes the Civil Service pension scheme arrangements, whose scheme was reformed in April 2015 with the introduction of the Alpha pension scheme.

Please read the Written Statement - external link presented to the House of Commons for more detail.

The age discrimination issue only affects reformed public service pension schemes, it doesn't affect the RCPS because it has not reformed.

The RCPS Management Board have unanimously agreed that the RCPS should continue as it is past April 2020 while the government works through its proposals with its stakeholders to address the age discrimination issue. The timescale for this is not clear.

As the RCPS continues as it is then so will JSS continue to administer the scheme.

We will update you when more information is available. If you do have any reform related questions please visit our website or contact us using the email address jss.reform@bbsrc.ac.uk.

15 May 2019 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under the 2010 terms has been extended to 30 September 2019. Prior to this the deadline was 31 May 2019. Staff signing up to an exit under the 2010 terms would need to leave within normal notice periods.

This date is subject to change during the consultation exercise.

Further information can be found on the CSCS webpage for employers - external link.

07 May 2018 2019 Annual Benefit Statements

JSS will start to produce the 2019 Annual Benefit Statements during July and August.

Our default method is to send your Statement to your work email address. If we do not have an email address for you, we will post your Statement to your home address.

This year your Statement will be produced in PDF format, previously they have been in Microsoft Word format. For more information on why this has changed, please see the Annual Benefit Statements page on the JSS Website.

Your Statement is password protected with the numbers from your National Insurance (NI) number. For example, if your NI number is AB123456C, then your password will be 123456: do not include the letters.

If you have a query with the pension information contained within your statement, please contact jss.statements@bbsrc.ac.uk.

If you want to change your personal details please email jss.members@bbsrc.ac.uk.

If you do not have a Death Benefit Nomination or would like to change an existing one, please read the information on the Death Benefit page and download the relevant form and send it to JSS.

12 March 2019 2019 Pension increase and revaluation

For the year beginning 8 April 2019 there will be an increase of 2.4% applied to Public Service Pensions.

Pensions are reviewed annually in line with Treasury Orders. This review is called the annual Pension Increase (or PI).

The Treasury Order takes account of the previous September's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figure to determine what the adjustment will be, the CPI in the 12 months to September 2018 was 2.4%. This increase will be applied to Public Service Pensions in payment, deferred (preserved) pensions, career average pensions and added pension this year.

Nuvos members will also see their accrued pension revalued by 2.4%.

The Pensioners page on the JSS website has been updated to show the 2019 pension increase.

21 February 2019 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under the 2010 terms has been extended to 31 May 2019. Prior to this the deadline was 31 March 2019. Staff signing up to an exit under the 2010 terms would need to leave within normal notice periods.

Further information can be found on the CSCS webpage for employers - external link.

23 January 2019 RCPS Reform Update - Court of Appeal judgement

In October 2018 we told you about the RCPS continuing as is until April 2020, in part due to ongoing litigation between the Government and the firefighters and judiciary.

These cases were heard at the Court of Appeal from the 05 to the 09 November 2018 and the judgement handed down on 20 December 2018. In summary the Court found that the Government had unlawfully discriminated against younger members of both the firefighters and judicial pension schemes in respect of changes that were introduced in 2015.

The changes introduced meant that older members would stay in one pension scheme but younger members had to move to a new scheme, deemed worse by the claimants. These changes are very similar to those introduced in many other public sector pension schemes in 2015 under the provisions set out in the Public Service Pension Act 2013.

The full judgement can be accessed on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary - external link webpage.

What does this mean for the RCPS and its members?

Unfortunately at this moment in time we cannot say what the impact is on our scheme members, but we wanted to share the Court of Appeal decision as it is already in the public domain and many members may be asking what the outcome was. As the Court didn't state how the situation should be remedied it is difficult to say with any certainty what that might be.

The RCPS Management Board will continue to monitor this situation and review this once the Government has announced how it plans to react to the judgment. There is the option for the Government to appeal the judgment which would then be heard by the Supreme Court. Whatever happens it is possible that the reform timeline for the RCPS will need further review and then we can communicate anything we will do.

In the meantime it is continuation 'as is' for the RCPS and for JSS, if you have any reform related questions please visit our website or contact us using the email address jss.reform@bbsrc.ac.uk.

16 January 2019 Added Pension year end deadline

Members in classic, classic plus, premium and nuvos may choose to buy added pension to top up their pension benefits. Members interested in making a one-off lump sum contribution into the current scheme year have until 22 February 2019 to submit their application to JSS.

Please read the Added Pension Reminder 2019 (PDF, 106KB) - opens in new window.

14 January 2019 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under the 2010 terms has been extended to 31 March 2019. Prior to this the deadline was 31 January 2018. Staff signing up to an exit under the 2010 terms would need to leave within normal notice periods.

Further information can be found on the CSCS webpage for employers - external link.

14 January 2019 National Insurance payments on exit costs update

In a news item published on 03 January 2018 it was stated that employer NI payments on exit costs above £30,000 was due to come into force on 06 April 2019. This has been further delayed until 06 April 2020.

Further information on this can be found on the Government Website - external link.

02 January 2019 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Reform Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under the 2010 terms has been extended to 31 January 2019. Prior to this the deadline was 30 Dec 2018. Staff signing up to an exit under the 2010 terms would need to leave within normal notice periods.

Further information can be found on the CSCS webpage for employers - external link.

2018

05 November 2018 Participation in the 2018 National Fraud Initiative

JSS has a legal obligation to protect the public funds it administers. As part of achieving this aim JSS will share information with other bodies responsible for; auditing, or administering public funds, or where undertaking a public function, in order to prevent and detect fraud.

JSS have been voluntarily participating in the Cabinet Office's National Fraud Initiative (NFI) for a number of years now, and will be participating in their 2018 exercise. We will be providing scheme member details to the NFI so that the they can be compared to information held by the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) and the Disclosure of Death Registration Information (DDRI). The purpose of providing this information is to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud, which will ensure, for example, that no pensions are being paid to persons who are deceased or no longer entitled and that occupational pension income is being declared when housing benefit is applied for.

Previous exercises have also uncovered instances of pensioners receiving too little pension, resulting in the payments to pensioners being increased. These exercises, therefore, help promote the best use of public funds.

The National Fraud Initiative is conducted using the data matching powers bestowed on the Minister for the Cabinet Office by Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 (LAAA). Data matching by the Cabinet Office is subject to a Code of Practice. - external link

Processing and sharing of member information is carried out in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations which is further explained in the Privacy Notice and Privacy Policy which can be found on the How we manage your information page on the JSS website

More information about the National Fraud Initiative can be found on the National fraud initiative - external link webpage.

If you would like more information about JSS' participation in the National Fraud Initiative please contact us using jss.pensions@bbsrc.ac.uk

12 October 2018 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Reform Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under the 2010 terms has been extended to 31 December 2018. Exits which take place to a reasonable timescale after that (i.e. normal notice periods) will be on the current (2010) CSCS terms. This deadline will be reviewed regularly during the consultation exercise.

Further information can be found on the CSCS webpage for employers - external link.

11 October 2018 RCPS Reform Update - Continuation until April 2020

An update on RCPS reform (PDF, 420KB) - opens in new window -has been published which explains why the RCPS is continuing as it is until April 2020 at the earliest.

If you have any questions, please use the jss.reform@bbsrc.ac.uk email address or visit the Pension Reform page.

07 August 2018 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Reform Update

A further update on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

The deadline for signing up to exits under the 2010 terms has been extended to 31 October 2018. Exits which take place to a reasonable timescale after that (i.e. normal notice periods) will be on the current (2010) CSCS terms.

Further information can be found on the CSCS webpage for employers - external link.

24 July 2018 RCPS Annual Accounts 2017-2018

The RCPS Annual Accounts for 2017-2018 have now been published online.

These accounts are made available on the BBSRC website and can be reached via a link on the governance page.

12 June 2018 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Reform Update

The government launched a consultation on reform to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) in September 2017. A further update regarding the reform has been shared by the Cabinet Office.

Exits under the CSCS that are signed up to by 31 August 2018 and which take place to a reasonable timescale after that (i.e. normal notice periods) will be on the current (2010) CSCS terms.

Cabinet Office are continuing to meet with the Civil Service trade unions to discuss the proposals and the deadline will be kept under review.

For information, future updates on the CSCS consultation will be published on the CSCS webpage for employers - external link.

06 June 2018 2018 Annual Benefit Statements

JSS will start to produce the 2018 Annual Benefit Statements during July 2018.

Your Annual Benefit Statement gives you important information about your pension and associated benefits. JSS do not routinely produce copies of Annual Benefit Statements so please keep this document in a safe place.

Our default despatch method is to your work email address, we will post statements to members that we do not have an email address for.

The Annual Benefit Statement is a Microsoft Word document that is password protected with the numbers from your National Insurance (NI) number. For example, if your NI number is AB123456C, then your password to open your statement will be 123456 (do not include the letters).

You can find your NI Number on your payslip.

If you have a query with the pension information contained within your statement, please reply to jss.statements@bbsrc.ac.uk.

If you want to change your personal details please email jss.members@bbsrc.ac.uk.

If you do not have a Death Benefit Nomination or would like to change an existing one, please read the information on the death benefit page and download the relevant form and send it to JSS.

17 May 2018 One to One Pension Discussions for RCPS members

If you are a member, or eligible to be a member of the Research Councils' Pension Scheme and would like to discuss anything to do with your pension please let us know and we will arrange a phone appointment for you with one of our pension experts.

Your question can be anything related to the RCPS, for instance: how to increase your pension; retirement options; partner/children's benefits, pension reform, etc.

Simply Email us to request an appointment.

Appointments are generally available mornings Monday to Thursday. If you are able to travel to Swindon you also have the opportunity to meet one of the team instead.

Unfortunately we cannot give financial advice or recommend any particular action you should take but can offer information to help you make your decisions. We cannot advise on any other pension schemes, nor the State Pension.

State Pension information is available on the Government's New State Pension page - external link.

11 April 2018 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Reform Update

The Cabinet Office have shared a further update regarding the reform of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS).

The use of the current 2010 exit terms have been extended to 30 May 2018, this means that exits signed up to by this date and take place within a reasonable timeframe (normal notice periods) will be on 2010 terms.

Cabinet Office are continuing to meet with the Civil Service trade unions to discuss the proposals and the deadline will be kept under review.

The programme of meetings were put on hold at the unions request due to a ministerial reshuffle in January. This consultation will continue until an agreement is reached on a set of reforms or until the Government is satisfied that it does not wish to make any further changes to its proposal.

26 March 2018 Changes to the Civil Service DC Arrangements

The Civil Service Defined Contribution (DC) pension arrangements are changing in September 2018 which affects the DC options available to RCPS members.

Please read the Civil Service DC Changes 2018 (PDF, 115KB) - opens in new window - for more information.

15 March 2018 2018 Pension Increase and revaluation

For the year beginning 9 April 2018 there will be an increase of 3.0% applied to Public Service Pensions.

Pensions are reviewed annually in line with Treasury Orders. This review is called the annual Pension Increase (or PI).

The Treasury Order takes account of the previous September's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figure to determine what the adjustment will be, the CPI in the 12 months to September 2017 was 3.0%.

This increase will be applied to Public Service Pensions in payment, deferred pensions, career average pensions and added pensions this year.

Nuvos members will also see their accrued pension revalued by 3%, as per The Public Service Pensions Revaluation Order 2018.

The JSS website has been updated to show the 2018 pension increase.

07 March 2018 2018 Annual Benefit Statements

The production of the 2018 Annual Benefit Statements is anticipated to commence from the beginning of July.

Your benefit statement gives you important information about your pension and associated benefits, please keep it in a safe place.

Our default despatch method is to your work email address, and we will post statements to members that we do not have an email address for.

Benefit statements are password protected and your password is the numbers from your National Insurance (NI) number. For example, if your NI number is AB123456C, then your password will be 123456: do not include the letters.

If you have a query with the pension information contained within your statement, please reply to jss.statements@bbsrc.ac.uk.

If you want to change your personal details please email jss.members@bbsrc.ac.uk.

If you do not have a Death Benefit Nomination or would like to change an existing one, please read the information on the death benefit page and download the relevant form and send it to JSS.

06 March 2018 2018 Member Contribution Rates

With effect from April 2018 some of the annualised earnings salary bands on which pension contributions are based will be changing. The new employee contribution tables can be found on the Joining the scheme page.

23 February 2018 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Reform Update

The Cabinet Office have shared a further policy update regarding the reform of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS).

The use of the current 2010 exit terms have been extended to 31 March 2018, this means that exits signed up to by this date and take place within a reasonable timeframe (normal notice periods) will be on 2010 terms.

Cabinet Office are continuing to meet with the Civil Service trade unions to discuss the proposals and the deadline will be kept under review. The consultation will continue until an agreement is reached on a set of reforms or until the Government is satisfied that it does not wish to make any further changes to its proposal.

10 January 2018 Added Pension year end deadline

Members in classic, classic plus, premium and nuvos may choose to buy added pension to top up their pension benefits. Members interested in making a one-off lump sum contribution into the current scheme year have until 23 February 2018 to submit their application to JSS.

Please read the Added Pension Reminder 2018 (PDF, 109KB) - opens in new window - for more information.

3 January 2018 National Insurance and compensation lump sum payments update

Further to the news item on 20 September 2017, the legislation bringing in employer NI payments on exit costs above £30,000 has been delayed for a year. It is now due to come in to force on 6 April 2019.

The HMRC information on the Government's website - external link explains this in more detail.

2017

11 December 2017 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Reform Update

The Cabinet Office have shared a policy update regarding the reform of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) following the Judicial Review earlier this year. They are analysing the responses to their consultation and continue to meet with the civil service trade unions to discuss proposals. There is no deadline for the end of the consultation period and they anticipate discussions should conclude early in the New Year. As a result Cabinet Office have established a deadline for exits to take place on the 2010 CSCS terms providing the employee signs up to them by 31 January 2018, and leaves within the normal notice period.

Cabinet Office have also provided further guidance to employers regarding some specific cases for staff that left on the 2016 CSCS terms. JSS will be writing to members accordingly to notify them of any changes to their awards.

29 November 2017 RCPS reform update; continuation until 1 April 2019

HM Treasury and BEIS have confirmed that the RCPS can delay it's scheme reform changes until 1 April 2019. This means that the RCPS will continue as is beyond 31 March 2018, with JSS continuing to administer the scheme for active, deferred and pensioner members until at least 1 April 2019.

This delay is a consequence of continuing actuarial discussions with HMT, the ongoing litigation by the judiciary and firefighters pension schemes and to help minimise disruption to those organisations already implementing significant change in April 2018.

If you have any questions, please use the jss.reform@bbsrc.ac.uk email address or visit the Pension Reform page.

3 October 2017 RCPS Reform Update

It is now anticipated that the RCPS will continue 'as is' beyond March 2018. This is because the discussions with BEIS and Cabinet Office/Treasury regarding the planning and implementation of the reforms remain to be concluded. Subject to the outcome of those discussions, and also to the outcomes of some current legal cases, the reform date is now likely to be April 2019.

In this event, this means that no existing RCPS members would move to the Civil Service alpha pension scheme in April 2018, as previously expected; and that participating organisations not affected by the creation of UKRI will still be able to enrol staff into the RCPS after 31 March 2018. Existing active RCPS members (employees), including those who are transferred to UKRI in April 2018, would continue to accrue RCPS benefits after 31 March 2018. Additionally, JSS will continue to administer the RCPS and there would be no change in the payment of pensions, nor in the administration of preserved (deferred) pensions. Individuals that have opted out of the Scheme, but remain with their employer, would normally be eligible to opt back into the RCPS.

Kye Honor (Head of JSS)

26 September 2017 Consultation on further reforms to the Civil Service Compensation scheme

The Government has announced details of a new consultation proposing further reforms to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS). The document Civil Service Compensation Scheme Consultation September 2017(PDF, 121KB) - opens in new window - details the reason for the consultation and the new terms that are being proposed.

The consultation announcement can also be found on the Government's Website - external link

21 September 2017 Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) Judicial Review

The Government recently lost a Judicial Review on the changes made to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme on 9 November 2016.

Cabinet Office have issued guidance to employers and they are in the process of reviewing individual cases.

JSS will write to any members that have been affected within the next 3 months and publish more informaton as soon as it is available.

20 September 2017 National Insurance and compensation lump sum payments

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will be making compensation lump sum payments in excess of £30,000 liable for Employer National Insurance payments from April 2018.

More information can be found on the HMRC Website - external link

Employers should check with their payroll providers to ensure that they are aware of this change. JSS have already raised this with UKSBS on behalf of the Research Councils.

18 July 2017 Challenge to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme Consultation Process

The Civil Service have published their response to a recent judgment regarding the consultation process for the changes proposed to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) in February 2016; Civil Service Compensation Scheme - A message from John Manzoni (PDF, 24KB) - opens in new window -

The judgment found that the Government didn't fully meet it's requirement to consult with a view to reaching agreement on the changes to the scheme. The new CSCS was introduced on 9 November 2016.

It is not clear how this may affect staff that left on the CSCS terms introduced in November 2016. JSS will monitor this and write to members appropriately. In the meantime employees currently proceeding through an exit process (voluntary or compulsory exit) should speak with their employer regarding any questions they have about the terms of their departure.

(Please note: Do not contact MyCSP as suggested in the Cabinet Office document as this is only appropriate for members of the Civil Service pension scheme arrangements)

JSS will publish more news as this progresses.

20 June 2017 Pension update Session Live Recording

JSS have been visiting organisations and delivering Pension Update Sessions to members and staff. The session on 20 June was recorded and a link to this recording can be found on the Engagement page.

11 May 2017 2017 Annual Benefit Statements

The production of the 2017 Annual Benefit Statements is anticipated to commence from the beginning of July.

Your benefit statement gives you important information about your pension and associated benefits, please keep it in a safe place. Our default despatch method is to your work email address, and we will post statements to members that we do not have an email address for.

If you have a query with the pension information contained within your statement, please reply to jss.statements@bbsrc.ac.uk

If you want to change your personal details - name, address, etc - please email jss.members@bbsrc.ac.uk

If you need to change your Death Benefit Nomination, please download the form on the death benefit page and send it to us.

23 March 2017 2017 Pensions Increase

As of April 2017 there will be an increase of 1% applied to Public Service Pensions.

Please read the 2017 Pensions Increase News item (PDF, 91KB) - opens in new window - for more information

15 March 2017 Update on Pension Scheme Reform

A further update on RCPS reform (PDF, 150KB) - opens in new window - has now been published.

This update contains details regarding the future of the RCPS and associated administration changes.

These changes are expected to be implemented in April 2018.

23 February 2017 Lifetime Allowance

This is a reminder that the deadline for applying for Individual Protection is 5 April 2017.

Further details can be found on the Protect your Lifetime Allowance - external link page of the Government website.

20 January 2017 2017 Member Contribution Rates

With effect from April 2017 some of the salary bands on which Pension contributions are based will be increased in line with inflation, and in line with changes to the PCSPS employee contribution tables.

Further details can be found in the 2017 member contribution rates (PDF, 141KB) - opens in new window - document.

2016

1 December 2016 Participation in the 2016 anti-fraud initiative

JSS is required to protect the public funds it administers. It may share information provided to it with other bodies responsible for; auditing, or administering public funds, or where undertaking a public function, in order to prevent and detect fraud.

Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one body against other computer records held by the same or another body to see how far they match. This is usually personal information. Computerised data matching allows fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found it may indicate that there is an inconsistency which requires further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.

We intend to participate in the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) data matching exercise carried out by the Cabinet Office. Our participation in NFI will assist in the prevention and detection of fraud against JSS and organisations within the public sector. We will participate on a voluntary basis and provide the Minister for the Cabinet Office with particular sets of data for matching as detailed on the National Fraud Initiative - external link web page.

The use of data by the Cabinet Office in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 1998. Data matching by the Cabinet Office is subject to a Code of Practice - external link

The Cabinet Office's legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information - external link provides further information.

For more information on data matching at JSS, please contact Kye Honor

8 November 2016 Update on Civil Service Compensation Scheme reforms

Cabinet Office have announced the changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme that will come into effect on 9 November 2016. Please read The Civil Service Compensation Scheme update (PDF, 116KB) - opens in new window - for further information.

13 October 2016 Update on Pension Scheme Reform

A further update on pension scheme reform (PDF, 100KB) - opens in new window - has now been published.

This update contains details regarding the future of the RCPS and associated administration changes.

These changes are expected to be implemented by April 2018.

28 September 2016 Civil Service Compensation Scheme Reform

The Government has published its response to the consultation on the reform of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) and has made a formal offer to the Trade Unions. The document Civil Service Compensation Scheme Reform (PDF, 110KB) - opens in new window - outlines the key features of the offer made to the Trade Unions by the Government.

Further information can be found in the documents below:

9 June 2016 Update on Pension Scheme Reform

A further update on pension scheme reform (PDF, 112KB) - opens in new window - has now been published. This update expands on some of the questions raised since our last communication on 6 January 2016.

27 April 2016 2016 Annual Benefit Statements

The production of the 2016 Annual Benefit Statements is anticipated to commence from the beginning of July.

If you have a query with the pension information contained within your statement, please reply to jss.statements@bbsrc.ac.uk

If you want to change your personal details - name, address, etc - please email jss.members@bbsrc.ac.uk

If you need to change your Death Benefit Nomination, please download the form on the death benefit page and send it to us.

15 April 2016 2016 Changes to the Lifetime allowance for pension savings

The Lifetime Allowance for pension savings decreased from £1·25 million to £1 million in April 2016. People affected by this are likely to be those in Premium or Nuvos with a pension that will be above £50,000 p.a. or anyone in Classic with a pension above £43,500 p.a. A test against the Lifetime Allowance is triggered when your pension benefits are accessed (put in to pay).

Please read the document Changes to the Lifetime Allowance for pension savings from April 2016 (PDF, 114KB) - opens in new window - for more information, which also outlines the protection HMRC have offered for anyone affected by the Lifetime Allowance limit.

22 March 2016 2016 Pensions Increase

As of April 2016 there will be no increase applied to Public Service Pensions

Please read the 2016 Penions Increase News Item (PDF, 92KB) - opens in new window - for more information.

17 February 2016 Changes to the Annual Allowance 2016

A number of changes have been made to the Annual Allowance. These changes include:

Aligning pension input periods from 6 April 2016
The introduction of transitional rules to protect some pension savings from 8 July 2016
The tapering of the Annual Allowance for incomes over £150,000 from 6 April 2016

Further information is included in the Changes to the Annual Allowance 2016 (PDF, 111KB) - opens in new window - document.

10 February 2016 2016 Member Contribution Rates

With effect from April 2016 member contribution rates are changing.

Further details can be found in the 2016 member contribution rates (PDF, 100KB) - opens in new window - document.

18 January 2016 Added Pension year end deadline

Members in classic, classic plus, premium and nuvos may choose to buy added pension to top up their pension benefits. Members interested in making a one-off lump sum contribution into the current scheme year have until 19 February 2016 to submit their application to JSS.

Please read the Added Pension Reminder 2016 (PDF, 101KB) - opens in new window - for more information.

6 January 2016 Pension Reform Update

Many of you will have read previous updates from JSS about the reform of the Research Council's Pension Scheme. At present it has still not been decided whether the RCPS will continue as a separate scheme implementing its own reforms or whether it will move in to the Civil Service pension arrangements and be reformed under their pension schemes. These remain the two possibilities for the RCPS.

HM Treasury have been working with the relevant Government departments to establish the mechanisms needed to enable the RCPS to transfer to the Civil Service pension arrangements. This is taking them a considerable length of time which is why we haven't been able to tell you what the future looks like for the RCPS. JSS have also been dealing with HM Treasury and BIS and are expecting to work towards a reform date of April 2017, where either the RCPS will implement its own reforms or will move all members to the Civil Service arrangements. The absolute deadline for reform of the scheme is April 2018.

"Reform" means eligible members moving in to a new career average earning pension scheme that is aligned to the state pension age; this is a requirement of the Public Service Pension Act 2013. The Civil Service reformed their pension arrangement by implementing a new scheme in April 2015, called Alpha. If the RCPS continues then we would expect to mirror the Alpha arrangements. Alpha is very similar to the current RCPS default scheme, Nuvos, in that it is based on pensionable earnings but with a slightly higher accrual rate of 2.32% (Nuvos is 2.3%) and has a scheme pension age identical to the state pension age (Nuvos pension age is 65).

Anyone that was in the RCPS and had less than 10 years to their scheme pension age (60 for Classic, Premium and Classic Plus, 65 for Nuvos) as at 1 April 2012 is protected from moving in to a reformed scheme. Members with more than 10 years and less than 13.5 years to their scheme pension age will move in to the reformed scheme between the date of reform and 2022 latest. Those members with more than 13.5 years to their scheme pension age will be enrolled to the new scheme when the reforms are implemented, earliest April 2017, latest April 2018.

We will update you on the future of the scheme and what it means to members as soon we have more information to share.

2015

4 November 2015 April 2016: End of Contracting Out - Increased National Insurance (NI)

If you are a member of the RCPS, the amount you pay in National Insurance each month will increase from April 2016.

Most Defined Benefit pension schemes are contracted out of the current State Second Pension, the RCPS is one of these schemes.

Due to this 'contracting out', employers and members currently pay a discounted National Insurance contribution on earnings between certain levels. A new single State Pension is being introduced on 6 April 2016 which means 'contracting out' ends and therefore NI contributions will rise for those members affected. The paper April 2016: The End of Contracting Out (PDF, 77KB) details the levels that are changing and what these changes mean for members of such schemes.

We have provided a simple NI increases calculator (Excel, 20KB) which members can use to estimate the amount of extra NI they will pay from 6 April 2016.

15 September 2015 Important news for JSS pensioners

JSS have been made aware of an on-going issue that might affect some of our pensioners regarding the tax they paid in the 2013-14 tax year. if you have a query regarding the tax on your RCPS pension, please contact the HMRC tax office on 0300 200 3300 or contact UK SBS Ltd on 01793 867003 for further information. If you do call, please have your National Insurance number or Payroll number ready to enable them to quickly retrieve your records.

9 September 2015 Taking a small pension as a cash lump sum

From 6 April 2015 new rules have been introduced to enable members to take a small pension as a cash lump sum.

Details regarding this change can be found in the document Trivial Commutation (PDF, 52KB).

9 September 2015 New Partnership employer rates

With effect from 1 October 2015 the employer contribution rates for the Partnership Pension scheme are changing.

Details regarding this change can be found in the document New Partnership employer rates (PDF, 50KB).

26 June 2015 Update on the future of the RCPS

Further to the news item of 30 April 2015, we must advise that discussions with HM Treasury are still on-going and that no further information has been received. An update will be published as soon as a decision has been made and this is expected to be around late July, early August. The ultimate deadline for reform of the pension scheme is still 31 March 2018.

20 May 2015 Restrictions to transfers out of the RCPS to Defined Contribution (DC) pension arrangements

Further to the news item posted on 3 March 2015, confirmation has now been received that the restrictions on transfers of RCPS pension benefits to Defined Contribution (DC) pension arrangements do not apply to members leaving without qualifying for preserved benefits.

14 May 2015 2015 Annual Benefit Statements

The production of the 2015 Annual Benefit Statements is anticipated to commence from 30 June and should be completed within 2 weeks of this date. This is dependent on data received from employers.

Your benefit statement gives you important information for your pension and associated benefits, please keep it in a safe place. Our default despatch method is email, and we will post statements to members that we do not have an email address for.

If you have a query with the information contained within your statement, please reply to jss.statements@bbsrc.ac.uk

If you want to change your personal details - name, address, etc - please email jss.members@bbsrc.ac.uk

If you need to change your Death Benefit Nomination, please download the form on the death benefit page and send it to us.

30 April 2015 Update on the future of the RCPS

Further to the news item of 29 January 2015, we must advise that discussions with HM Treasury are still on-going. An update will be published as soon as a decision has been made. In the meantime, the RCPS continues 'as is' with the revised employee contribution rates being implemented from April 2015 (as detailed in the news item of 3 March 2015). The ultimate deadline for reform of the pension scheme is 31 March 2018.

25 March 2015 Changes to the Lifetime Allowance for pension savings from April 2016

The Government announced at Budget 2015 that it will reduce the Lifetime Allowance for pension savings from £1.25 million to £1 million from April 2016.

Details regarding this can be found in the document Changes to the Lifetime Allowance for pension savings from April 2016 (PDF, 86KB).

3 March 2015 Pensions Reform - April 2015 Change to employee contribution rates

On 1 April 2015 new employee contribution rates and the way that the contribution bands are calculated will come into effect. This is in line with changes introduced in the PCSPS. Details of how this will affect members can be found in the document below:

Notice of Changes to Employee Pension Contributions (PDF, 85KB)

A simple tool which will help members to check the impact of the changes can be assessed from the link below:

Employee contribution change calculator 2015 (Excel, 25KB)

3 March 2015 Restrictions to transfers out of the RCPS to Defined Contribution (DC) pension arrangements

Under new Government legislation coming in to effect on 6 April 2015, members of the RCPS will not be permitted to transfer their RCPS pension benefits to a Defined Contribution (DC) pension arrangement. The deadline for transfers out of the RCPS to DC pension schemes is 5 April 2015; fully completed discharge / transfer forms must be received by JSS by this date to enable the transfer to proceed. For transfers out already in progress, that may be affected by this change, JSS will be contacting members and their pension administrators.

Transfers normally take 2-3 months to complete and are instigated by the member contacting their current pension provider who will then write to JSS to request a transfer value. It is important to note that a request for a transfer made prior to 5 April 2015 does not guarantee that the transfer will go ahead - the request for a transfer is only the first stage in the process. In order to guarantee that a transfer to a DC scheme can proceed fully, a completed discharge / transfer form must be received by JSS by 5 April 2015 at the very latest. Scanned copies of the forms can also be returned by e-mail to: jss.pensions@bbsrc.ac.uk to arrive by close of play on the 5 April 2015 deadline. Transfers to DC schemes will not be possible for forms received after this date.

Your current pension provider will be able to tell you what scheme you are in if you are unsure.

Transfers out of the RCPS to Defined Benefit pension schemes are not affected.

If you have less than 2 years' service or are looking to transfer your pension overseas, please contact us because these restrictions may not apply.

23 February 2015 Changes to the Defined Contribution pension arrangements

The Cabinet Office has published a Consultation response regarding changes to Defined Contribution arrangements in the Civil Service Pension Scheme (PDF, 345KB) - opens in new window - which applies to members of the RCPS with Scottish Widows or Standard Life AVC's, or individuals with Partnership pension account arrangements.

The consultation response document summarises the responses received and the Cabinet Office's decisions about the changes detailed in the consultation

The key changes to the Partnership pension account are as follows:

No introduction of the proposed mandatory employee contribution.
Retention of 3 times salary death benefits, with the contribution rate for oldest members reduced to make the change cost-neutral.
A delay in implementation of the changes from April 2015 to October 2015.

Further information regarding the consultation can be found in our news item published on 13 October 2014, Consultation on changes to Defined Contribution arrangements.

29 January 2015 Update on the future of the RCPS

We have published a further update on the future of the RCPS (PDF, 98KB) - opens in new window - that expands on some of the questions raised in our last update. In this update we focus on 1 April 2015 and what happens on that date as well as sharing some details about the possible reforms and potential changes to employee contribution rates. If you have any further questions, please contact us. We will share more news as we move through the next few months.

23 January 2015 Added Pension year end deadline

Members who are interested in commencing a new periodical Added Pension contract or amending the level of their current contracts have until 20 March 2015 to submit their application to JSS. Members interested in making a one-off lump sum contribution in the current scheme year have until 20 February 2015 to submit their application, payments by cheque must be received by JSS before 20 March 2015 to allow enough time for the payment to clear in the current scheme year. Further information calculators and application forms can be found on the increasing benefits page.

Please read the Added Pension Reminder (PDF, 106KB) - opens in new window - for more information.

2014

3 November 2014 Participation in the 2014 anti-fraud initiative

JSS are required by law to protect the public funds we administer. To do this we take part in the Audit Commissions's anti-fraud initiative. The purpose of this notice is to advise our pensioner members that JSS may share information provided to them with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud.

The Audit Commission appoints the auditor to audit the accounts of JSS. It is also responsible for carrying out data matching exercises.

Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one body against other computer records held by the same or another body to see how far they match. This is usually personal information. Computerised data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found it may indicate that there is an inconsistency which requires further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.

The Audit Commission currently requires us to participate in a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud. We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Audit Commission for matching for each exercise, and these are set out in the Audit Commission's guidance - external link.

The use of data by the Audit Commission in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under its powers in Part 2A of the Audit Commission Act 1998. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Data matching by the Audit Commission is subject to a Code of Practice - external link.

For further information on the Audit Commission's legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information, see their fair processing notice - external link. For further information on data matching at JSS, email kye.honor@bbsrc.ac.uk.

20 October 2014 Update on the future of the RCPS

We have published an update on the future of the RCPS (PDF, 99KB) - opens in new window, that gives members and employers some answers to the questions they may have about potential changes facing the scheme. We appreciate that you may have further questions, so please contact us if there is something important you need to know or ask. We will share more news with you as we progress through the reform process.

13 October 2014 Consultation on changes to Defined Contribution arrangements

The Cabinet Office have published a Consultation on proposed changes to the Defined Contribution arrangements effective from April 2015 (PDF, 466KB) - opens in new window.

The changes affect the following arrangements:

Partnership pension accounts.
Ill-health benefits for members of Partnership.
Death benefits for members of Partnership.
Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) scheme (but not Added Pension or Added Years benefits).
Stand-alone Stakeholder Pension arrangements.

The consultation does not affect the arrangement for members in Classic, Classic Plus, Premium or Nuvos.

The Cabinet Office will be accepting responses until Monday 3 November 2014.

9 October 2014 Annual Allowance Statements

JSS have a statutory requirement to issue Pension Savings Statement to any members that exceed the Annual Allowance limit. A very small number of members were affected by this and they have been sent Pension Saving Statements; these were sent out on 6 October 2014.

We have added a new page to our website - pensions and tax - where we provide some general information on Annual Allowance and Lifetime Allowance tax limits.

If you haven't received a Pension Savings Statement it is because our records and calculations do not indicate you are close to or have exceeded the limit. However, if you think you may need one, please email jss.members@bbsrc.ac.uk to request one.

2 October 2014 Important News for JSS Pensioners

JSS have been made aware of an issue that might affect some of our pensioners regarding the tax they paid in the 2013-14 tax year. JSS would like to assure our pensioners that our payroll provider, UK SBS Ltd, are currently working with HMRC to resolve the situation. In the meantime, if you have a query regarding the tax on your RCPS pension, please contact the HMRC tax office on 0300 200 3300 or contact UK SBS Ltd on 01793 867003 for further information. If you do call, please have your National Insurance number or Payroll number ready to enable them to quickly retreive your records.

4 August 2014 Partial Retirement Reminder

We have published a brief document, Partial Retirement Reminder for Employers 2014 (PDF, 103KB) - opens in new window, that gives employers an insight into partial retirement. It includes some of the key points that they need to be aware of, along with an overview of the process. This complements the information already available on the partial retirement page.

23 June 2014 2014 Annual Benefit Statements

The production of 2014 Annual Benefit Statements is anticipated to commence within two weeks of 30 June 2014. Your benefit statement gives you important information for your pension and associated benefits, please keep it in a safe place. They will be emailed to your work address if we have one, and for those that do not have a work email address we will post your statement to you.

Benefit Statements are password protected and your password is the numbers from your National Insurance (NI) number. For example if your NI number was AB123456C then your password would be 123456; do not include the letters.

If when you receive your statement you have a query with the information contained, please reply to jss.statements@bbsrc.ac.uk.

If you want to change your personal details - name, address, etc - please email jss.members@bbsrc.ac.uk.

If you need to change your Death Benefit Nomination please download the form on the death benefit page and send it in to us.

21 February 2014 Lifetime Allowances limits are changing from 6 April 2014

HMRC are reducing the Lifetime Allowance limit which determines how much pension an individual can accrue in their lifetime before having to pay a tax charge. HMRC have already reduced this from £1.8m to £1.5m in 2012. On 6 April 2014 it will be further reduced to £1.25m. As with previous reductions, HMRC are offering people the opportunity to apply for protection. Please read the Lifetime Allowance Changes announcement (PDF, 112KB) - opens in new window - for more information.

30 January 2014 Added pension year end deadline

Members who are interested in commencing a new periodical added pension contract or amending the level of their current contracts have until 14 March 2014 to submit their application to JSS. Members interested in making a one-off lump sum contribution in the current scheme year have until 21 February to submit their application, payments by cheque must be received by JSS before 19 March to allow enough time for the payment to clear in the current scheme year. Further information calculators and application forms can be found on the increasing benefits page.

The limits that members can buy in Added Pension have also changed. Please read the Added Pension Reminder (PDF, 106KB) - opens in new window - for more information.

2013

December 2013 Pensions Reform - Increased contribution update

The Government have confirmed the proposed pension contributions increase. Details of how the increase will affect members can be found in the document below.

December 2013 Notice of Increased Employee Pension Contributions (PDF, 102KB) - opens in new window

November 2013 Pensions Reform - Proposed increase in contributions

The Government has recently announced the third consecutive employee pension contribution increases as proposed by the Cabinet Office. These are due to be implemented in April 2014 and follow increases in April 2012 and April 2013. The proposal is to increase employee pension contributions by 0.6% for those with pensionable full time equivalent earnings of above £21,000. For those earning up to £15,000 there will be no increase and for those earning £15,001 - £21,000 an increase of 0.3% is proposed.

More information on these proposals are provided in the document below:

November 2013 Proposed Increase in Employee Pension Contributions (PDF, 78KB) - opens in new window

January 2013 Pensions Reform - April 2013 increased contribution update

The Government have issued their latest guidance in respect of the April 2013 increase to employee pension contributions, as per the scheduled increase to total member contributions of an average of 3.2% over the three years from April 2012. Guidance on the latest increase is detailed in the document below.

January 2013 Notice of Increased Employee Pension Contributions (PDF, 94KB)