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Employer Knowledge Article

EPG - Section 5.1 - Your responsibilities when staff are in service

Your responsibilities when staff are in service

5.1.1 The ‘Members’ section contains comprehensive information for Scheme members, including our contact details.

Information for members

5.1.2 We’re responsible for handling most enquiries from members. You must direct a member to the members section of the website if they have a question about the Civil Service Pension (CSP) arrangements. They can also contact us direct if they have a question about:

  • Annual Benefit Statements – a member may question the information shown on their statement. We’ll deal with these questions, but you will need to deal with any payroll data queries;

  • enquiries about buying added pension or relating to ongoing added years or pension contracts (see note 1);

  • making AVCs (see note 1);

  • making a change to a death benefit nomination – members can nominate who should be paid death benefit. Access all the member forms.

  • CSP valuations or enquiries for divorce purposes – pension benefits can be taken into account when a member negotiates their divorce settlement. We must give the member or their representatives certain information to do this;

  • dependants’ benefits;

  • opting out, rejoining and automatic re-enrolment into the CSP Scheme (see ‘Changing pension arrangements’ section 5.9);

  • switching schemes (see note 1);

  • applying to transfer their pension benefits in another scheme into the CSP arrangements;

  • alpha members can also request to make contributions to an EPA portion of their alpha pension.

Note 1 - You will need to establish how we tell your payroll of changes in contributions rates that may occur in these circumstances, if you have not already done so.

5.1.3 Member's can find more information and scheme guides in the member's section. Employers are generally responsible for giving only new members information. See Section 4 - Your responsibilities when staff join. You should speak to one of our Employer Relationship Managers if you require further information.

5.1.4 From time to time we will ask you to give members information and guidance about the Scheme or changes to the Scheme. We will normally ask you to issue an office notice and give you the text to use. We ask that you do not change this text because of the technical nature of pensions. These notices must be issued quickly. Failure to give members timely information could lead to compensation claims against you if members miss a valuable opportunity.

5.1.5 We’ll provide members with an ABS. This will tell the member about the pension benefits they have earned in the CSP arrangements so far and other important information about their pension and Scheme membership.

We’ll issue annual statements to members’ home addresses (excluding those for secure members or employers who have agreed alternative arrangements). You must ensure that you provide us with up-to-date information about members’ home addresses prior to the start of statement distribution. You will be notified of the dates in an Employer Pension Notice (EPN).