I am a deferred member, why have I received a Remediable Service Statement?
As a result of 2015 Remedy (McCloud), new legislation requires all Public Service Schemes to issue remedy eligible members with a deferred Remediable Service Statement (RSS).
When you left the Civil Service pension scheme you received a statement of your pension benefits. As a result of the 2015 Remedy ruling, when you claim your preserved pension, you will be given a choice of the benefits you wish to receive for the remedy period, 2015 to 2022. The RSS provides statements showing the pension benefits for both PCSPS and alpha.
What is 2015 Remedy (McCloud)?
In 2015 the Government introduced reforms to public service pensions and most civil servants were moved into a new scheme called ‘alpha’. In 2018, the Court of Appeal found that some of the rules put in place in 2015 were discriminatory on the basis of age. As a result, steps are being taken to remedy those 2015 reforms, making the pension scheme provisions equal for all members. This is called 2015 Remedy (McCloud). Further information on 2015 Remedy, can be found here.
I am a deferred member and have received a Remediable Service Statement, what do I need to do?
You just need to read the pension benefits statements you were sent and tell us if you change your address or marital status via the member portal or by using the forms on the Civil Service Pensions website. If you wish to register for the portal please click here.
You don't need to do anything else now; this is for information only and represents the changes to your preserved benefits following the introduction of Remedy.
You'll make your choice when you claim your pension benefits.
Why will I need to make a choice about my pension benefits when I do claim them?
As part of the Remedy, we want to ensure that affected members have a choice about the pension benefits for service within the Remedy period (01 April 2015 – 31 March 2022). Therefore, members will be given two options, which is known as Deferred Choice Underpin (DCU).
You don't need to do anything else now; this is for information only and represents the changes to your preserved benefits following the introduction of Remedy.
You'll make your choice when you claim your pension benefits.
What will my pension benefit choices be at retirement?
Your choice will be between:
- Option A: choose Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) benefits for your service in the Remedy period; OR)
- Option B: choose alpha benefits for your service in the Remedy period.
The Remediable Service Statement you were sent (made up of pension benefits statements), shows the current value of your preserved benefits in each scheme under each option.
Please note: If you left prior to 1 April 2022, there are no alpha benefits under option A.
I’ve received a separate statement/correspondence which shows different benefit values to my Deferred RSS. Why is this?
Previous benefit statements produced were based on your pension scheme membership at the time of issue. Since October 2023 this may have changed and these statements show the up to date position, including your Deferred Choice Underpin (DCU) Options A and B, as at current date that would be payable from your Normal Pension Age.
Can I claim my pension now if I want to?
You'd typically claim your pension when you reach your normal pension age.
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to claim your pension before you reach your normal pension age, but the amount you receive would be reduced for early payment.
I am a deferred member and have received my Remediable Service Statement (RSS). However, the reckonable service on my RSS is not what I was expecting, why would this be?
Reckonable service is the amount of time you served in Civil Service employment that counts towards your pension and is affected by several factors, such as:
- Part-time working: This is calculated on a pro-rata basis, so the reckonable service for any period you worked part-time hours will be reduced based on the hours you actually worked.
- Non-reckonable absences: Unpaid leave, unpaid sick leave, career breaks, strike days and sick pay at pension rate do not count as reckonable service.
- Casual service: Apart from specific circumstances for members of classic, casual service is usually not reckonable for pension purposes.
This means the reckonable service that counts towards your pension could be lower than the total amount of time you served in your Civil Service employment. Further information about how changes in working patterns can impact your reckonable service can be found on our website.
Your reckonable service could also be impacted if you previously partially retired, retired from a previous period of service on ill-health grounds, transferred-in additional service from another pension provider, or opted to purchase additional years of service.
We can confirm that all of this has been factored into the calculation of your benefits.
Please note:
Qualifying service: Generally, this is the number of years and days you have been a member of the Scheme, and it qualifies you for certain benefits.
Reckonable service: The service that counts towards a pension.
