Pension Health Check

As many practitioners will be aware, NHS pension records often require attention to ensure they are complete. This is particularly relevant following the McCloud judgement and the subsequent issuing of Remediable Pension Savings Statements (RPSS) to members. Where records are not up to date, NHSBSA are unable to issue the RPSS, and so members may be unaware of any tax owing, or due back to them, because of changes from McCloud.

It is never too late to get your pension record up to date, and the sooner you tackle this, the easier it is to sort any issues. We have compiled a list of top tips for how to navigate the pension minefield:

Request an NHS Pension Service Extract

NHS Pensions can send through a list of all the roles they hold for you, which dates they cover, and your pensionable pay from these sources. It is then easy to identify which years are missing data, to be able to then make a start on remedying this.

Resubmit Missing Years' Certificates

Sometimes, all it takes is to resubmit superannuation certificates for missing years to Primary Care Support England (PCSE) for these to be processed, and the pension gap filled. If there are any issues with those certificates, PCSE will confirm this, and you can then proactively work to solve them.

Don't Be Afraid to Chase for Responses from PCSE

Oftentimes, persistence is key. If you have not heard from PCSE in response to an enquiry, make sure you chase for a response. You also always have the option to escalate the case to complaints level, should your case not be resolved within 40 working days.

Ensure PCSE Admin is Dealt With on Changing Roles

It is crucial to ensure joiner and leaver forms are completed when changing roles, so PCSE deduct the correct level of pension from the correct practice on your behalf. Many issues with PCSE deductions stem from these forms not being completed.

Ensure Your Pension Certificates are Completed and Submitted Each Year

Each year, practitioners must complete and submit a superannuation certificate to PCSE by 28th February. These are Type 1 forms for partners, and Type 2 forms for Salaried GPs. It is each GP’s responsibility to ensure these are completed, and without them, PCSE will not report your pensionable pay to NHS Pensions for your pension record to be updated.

Utilise a Specialist Medical Accountant to Help You

We recognise that working through these steps is not a top priority for our clients, where they already have so many pulls on their time. We work with our clients to fill pension gaps to take the pressure from them.