Joining the pension scheme

​​After your salary, your pension is one of your biggest benefits.

It provides you with financial security and options when you retire, as well as benefits for your family and loved ones. 

When you join the Civil Service you get access to the alpha pension with generous employer contributions and some of the lowest member contributions in the public sector. 

From 6 April 2028, the earliest age most people can access their Civil Service pension will rise from 55 to 57. This change, introduced by the Finance Act 2022, means many members will need to wait two extra years before drawing their pension benefits.

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Members like me

See other pension scheme members who might be in a similar situation to you, from a new joiner, all the way to thinking about retirement. Read their stories to see what they, and you, should be looking at next...

See the members like you

alpha pension scheme

If this is the first time you’ve worked for a public sector employer, you’ll be able to choose between alpha (a ‘career average’ scheme) and partnership (a ‘defined contribution’ arrangement). 

Alpha provides a pension based on a percentage of how much you earned each year, and is funded through member and generous employer contributions.

Seasons 1, 2 and 3 of the Civil Service Pensions podcast available now 

The Civil Service Pensions Podcast will help you get to grips with your pension and make more informed choices about your financial future, whatever stage of life you're at. 

Listen to the podcast