Benefits

Your pension is calculated as a percentage of your salary for each year and month that you have been contributing to the Scheme.

The length of time that you have been in the Scheme is called your Pensionable Service and the salary used is called your Pensionable Salary, which is your salary close to retirement.

The calculation of your pension changed in April 2016 so your pension is split into two parts that are calculated separately and then added together to get your total pension.

The pension accrued prior to April 2016 was converted to a percentage of your Pensionable Salary referred to as the Past Service Percentage. Your Past Service Percentage can be found on the Confirmation Statement that we sent to you in 2016, or it can also be found on the annual Benefit Statements which we provide you with each year. To calculate your pension for service prior to April 2016, we take the Past Service Percentage and multiply this by your Pensionable Salary.

The pension accrued after April 2016 is calculated as follows:

1/62th of Pensionable Salary x Post 2016 Pensionable Service

Pensionable Salary is the Contributory Salary in any 12-month period ending in the last five years prior to leaving or retiring from the Scheme. Contributory Salary excludes bonus payments, pay in exchange of non-cash benefits (e.g. car benefit payments) and pay in lieu of notice.

Example:

Andrew is retiring at age 65 on 5 April 2023, his Final Pensionable Earnings are £28,000 and his Past Service Percentage is 35%. 

Andrew’s pension accrued prior to April 2016 is:

As Andrew is retiring on 5 April 2023, he has completed 7 years exactly as only complete months are included in the calculation so his pension accrued after April 2016 is:

So, Andrew's total pension is:

The total pension is rounded up so that it is divisible by 12.

If you are a reduced accrual member, please click here to see how your pension is calculated.