Business Services Organisation
This newsletter is for all active and deferred members of the HSC Pension Schemes and contains important information about your HSC Pension Scheme Benefits.
The below information is available in a downloadable/printable format here.
-
Flexible Retirement (Partial Retirement)
We are pleased to announce that HSC Employers have now launched of a range of HSC Pen-sion flexibilities including Partial Retirement through the new regional Retirement Flexibilities Guidance.
As the definition of retirement is changing and broadening, many employees are considering how they can gradually adjust their working patterns to achieve a healthy work-life balance and a smoother transition from their working life into retirement. We are committed supporting col-leagues who wish to adopt a more flexible approach to retirement by offering a range of flexible retirement options including partial retirement, step down and wind down.
Key features of the new guidance:
- Flexible working: applications to retire flexibly will be treated as a flexible working request.
- Pensionable re-employment (retire and re-join): employees who have taken their pension from the 1995 Section of the HSC Pension Scheme and return to work in the HSC are able to join the 2015 Scheme and build up further pension if they wish.
- Partial retirement (draw down): is available to employees who are members of the 1995 and 2008 Sections, as well as 2015 Scheme.
- Phased retirement options: transition smoothly by applying to reduce your working hours or level of responsibility while maintaining key benefits.
How to learn more about Flexible Retirement
- You should read the Flexible Retirement Guidance and FAQs which will be available on your Organisation’s Intranet site.
- Attend a virtual information session co-delivered by HSC Pension Service and HSC Human Resources colleagues. These are designed to help employees and managers understand the flexible retirement options available, eligibility criteria and application process. You can book to attend through LearnHSCNI
- Access Factsheets and calculator on the HSC Pension website
-
Submission of Pension Applications (AW6)
As a result of the McCloud Remedy, HSC Pension Service must add an additional number of steps to the process of calculating and paying HSC Pension Benefits to Scheme members.
In accordance with the remedy, all affected retirees must be furnished with a Remedial Service Statement (RSS) which provides detailed information relating to benefit accrual during the remedy period, i.e. 01/04/2015 to 31/03/2022 or part thereof. This is commonly referred to as their McCloud Choice Statement.
Members have a statutory time limit of 3 months to return their choice on how they wish to claim the said benefits for the remedy period, after which, if no response is received they will be auto-matically awarded benefits from the legacy scheme for the remedy period.
It is therefore imperative, that as a result of these additional steps and statutory timeframes for members to make their choice, HSC Pension Service must increase the lead in time for the receipt of pension benefit applications to 6 months.
This will allow HSC Pension Service sufficient time to:
- Review the application for completeness
- Calculate pensionable pay figures for all relevant schemes including reformed and legacy
- Calculate up to 4 possible benefit forecasts for members to consider when making their choice
- Issue RSS to members electronic or home address
- Provide members with the statutory 3-month period to make and return their choice
- Monitor, document and record choice statement returns
- Calculate actual benefits based on the choice
- Put benefits into payment in accordance with SLA’s
HSC Pension Service have been informing attendees at Pension Workshops and seminars of this change in procedure.
-
Remediable Service Statements (RSS) at Retirement
HSC Pension Service have been working through significant complexities to put in place the McCloud Remedy for affected members. To date we have made substantial progress towards implementing the remedy so affected members can make their choice with confidence.
Within the coming months, members who apply for retirement will be offered their choice in the form of a Remediable Service Statement (RSS). The RSS will show Option A and Option B. You must only choose one option.
Each option will include the standard amount of lump sum you will receive depending on your choice. If you want to increase your lump sum by commuting part of your pension, you will have the option to do so on the RSS before you return it for processing. We cannot process your RSS without this decision.
Please read the guidance notes on your pension application and visit our online calculator at Pension Commutation Calculator to help you decide.
Once you have received your RSS, you will have three months from the date of issue to make a choice. This choice is final and cannot be reversed or revoked at a later date, so please take time to consider both options and submit your choice as soon as possible.
Return your completed and signed form to RSSRETURN@HSCNI.NET. Please be aware that we cannot accept incomplete forms and they will be returned to you. This may result in delayed payment of your pension benefits.
If no decision has been received, you will automatically receive the Legacy option for the remedy period.
*There will be a small number of members with particularly complex pensions who may not receive their choice on retirement. We will contact these members at a later date.
**Please note: It takes HSCPS on average six months to fully process a retirement application, this should be considered in advance of your proposed retirement date. This can only be started once HSCPS has received all of the member’s information and their RSS choice. Please ensure all forms including your AW6 and RSS are fully completed (using our online Pension Commutation Calculator for members wanting to make a lump sum choice) before submitting, as any missing information will delay your pension.
Further information can be found on our website, as well as supporting videos for; Completing an AW6 Form and Understanding the Remediable Service Statement.
-
Pension Estimates
HSC Pension Service will no longer be providing estimates of your HSC Pension benefits. If you require an estimate of pensions benefits please refer to your Annual Benefit Statement on your member self-service portal. This can be used in line with the calculators available on our website to help you determine your pension benefits at a retirement date selected by you, at today’s value. The calculators can be found here.
From April 2025 all Active members affected by McCloud will receive a dual statement providing them with detailed figures in relation to the McCloud remedy. For more information on McCloud please visit the McCloud Ruling section within our website.
-
HSC Pension Service has moved
HSC Pension Service, having spent the last 30+ years in Waterside House has now moved to new premises in Orchard House in the city centre. As such all correspondence should now be addressed to:
HSC Pension Service
Orchard House
40 Foyle Street
L’Derry
BT48 6AT -
Message from HMRC
HMRC is looking for volunteers who are public service pension scheme members to participate in user research to help improve their digital service. Your insights will help ensure the service meets the needs of scheme members, impacted by the Public Service Pension Remedy (also known as McCloud), to check if they have anything to report to HMRC, such as changes to their Annual Allowance (AA) or Lifetime Allowance (LTA) tax charges.
Your participation and input would help make a real difference.
If you would like to assist with this user research, please register your interest by completing the following form:
Register your interest for participation in PSPR user research
HMRC is specifically looking for:
● Members of public service pension schemes who are past or present employees of public service organisations
● and/or those impacted by, or interested in, the Public Service Pension Remedy.If you have any questions regarding this request, please email their user researcher, Praveen Bandaru, at praveen.bandaru@digital.hmrc.gov.uk
-
HSC Cost Claim Back Scheme
Those affected by the Public Service Pensions Remedy (PSPR), sometimes called the McCloud remedy, will have a choice of 1995/2008 Scheme or 2015 Scheme pension benefits for their membership during the remedy period – the remedy period is from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022.
The timing of when you’ll be asked to make this choice depends on when you retire. If you have not done so already, you can find out when you’ll make your decision to see when to expect to make your choice. Affected members with membership in the 2015 Scheme during the remedy period have had this membership rolled back into the 1995/2008 Scheme – you can find out more in our page on rollback. This will help you decide if it’s better for you to be rolled back, or to choose to have this membership treated as if it was in the 2015 Scheme.
This scheme allows members directly affected by the remedy, or their personal representatives or designated persons, to apply to claim back direct financial losses or tax losses, incurred be-cause of the remedy. The remedy has been designed to correct the age-related discrimination identified in the McCloud ruling, and choosing pension benefits for the remedy period will be straightforward for most members. However, a small minority with more complex situations may need professional advice. Members can apply to recover the cost of this advice, as well as any other direct financial or tax losses, using the Cost Claim Back Scheme. More information on the Scheme including details of how to apply can be found at HSC Cost Claim Back Scheme | HSC Pension Service.
-
Contact Us
Contact Us:
By writing to us at:-
HSC Pension Service
Orchard House
40 Foyle St
L’Derry
BT48 6ATVia e- mail at:- hscpensions@hscni.net
By Telephone: 02871319111
10.00 am to 12.00pm / 2.00 pm to 4.00pm – Monday to Thursday
10.00 am to 12.00pm – FridayFind us on X- @hscpensions
Find us on Facebook – HSC Pension Service