Pensioners and Dependants

This section has been created to provide our pensioners with information that is most relevant to them.

• Change of Circumstances

  Please inform us of any changes to any of the following details:

  • Address
  • Bank or building society account
  • Name or marital status
  • Beneficiaries
  • Re-employment

  We would need to know as far as possible in advance of the next payment date. Usually we would stop inputting changes onto our payroll system approximately two weeks before the stated payday.

  We can accept changes of bank or building society details in writing or via email but please remember that your normal signature will be required to authenticate the change.

  Please remember to quote your pension reference number or your national insurance number on all correspondence, to enable us to trace you on our payroll system.

• Child Allowance

  If the payment you receive from us is a child allowance you must inform us immediately when a child ceases full time education or training, or if there are any changes in circumstances that may affect payment of the allowance. Any overpayment will have to be repaid.

• Death on Re-employment

  Death during re-employment – 1995 Section

  If a member dies in pensionable re-employment there will be two elements to be considered when calculating any lump sum on death benefit. These are:

  • the lump sum in respect of the benefits that the member has earned in re- employment
  • where death occurs within five years of retirement, any lump sum due in respect of their original retirement

  How is each element of the lump sum calculated?

  1. The lump sum in respect of the re-employment will be equal to five times the pension for the service built up in respect of the re-employment
  2. The lump sum in respect of any retirement benefits that have been in payment for less than five years will be the lesser of either:
     • five times the annual pension less the amount of pension already paid, or
     • twice the pensionable pay less the total retirement lump sum

  Note: If the total amount of tax free lump sum, from the original retirement, exceeds twice the member’s actual pensionable pay no further lump sum is payable.

  Any lump sum must be paid within two years of the date that the Scheme was first notified of the member’s death. After two years the lump sum will be subject to a HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) tax charge of up to 45%. HSC Pension Service has no discretion and must deduct the tax charge from the lump sum payment.

  How will the adult dependant’s pension be calculated?

  There will be two elements to consider when calculating the adult dependant’s pension, reflecting the rules relating to death before and after retirement.

  Entitlement to each element will depend on whether the member was married to their spouse when they first retired and/or at the date of death:

  1. Providing the member was married when they first retired the spouse or partner will get a short term pension for the first three months, six months if they leave at least one child who is dependant on the spouse or partner. This short term pension will be equal to the same rate of pension the member was receiving when they died, plus
  2. A short term pension for six months equal to the member’s pensionable pay when they died. This is paid by the

  After the short term pensions have ended the spouse or partner may receive an adult dependant’s pension. Again, there are two elements to consider depending on the circumstances. These are:

  1. the adult dependant’s pension element notified at the time of the original retirement, if appropriate, plus
  2. an adult dependant’s pension equal to half the pension the member would have received had they retired on the day they died in respect of the re-employed membership

  Children’s pension

  There will be two elements to consider in calculating a children’s pension, reflecting the rules relating to death before and after retirement.

  All dependency and eligibility criteria must be satisfied in respect of the pension already in payment and also in respect of the re-employment.

  Entitlement to each element will depend on whether the child was dependent when the member first retired and/or at the date of death.

  The above information is also available in a downloadable/printable format here.

• National Fraud Initiative

  HSC Pension Service has a duty to protect the public funds which it administers and is required by the Northern Ireland Audit Office to participate in an anti-fraud initiative called the National Fraud Initiative.  To this end the data you have provided to enable your pension or other entitlements to be paid correctly may be used for the prevention and detection of fraud. HSC Pension Service may also share this information for this purpose with other public bodies who administer public funds. Further information is available on the Northern Ireland Audit Office website at:

  National Fraud Initiative

• NHS Retirement Fellowship

  The NHS Retirement Fellowship is a registered charity, created for the benefit of all retired health service employees and their partners. The main objective is to provide the opportunity for retired health service staff to continue friendships formed during employment and to make new friends and enjoy the companionship of people from a shared health and social services background.

  If you are interested in becoming a member or would like some more information please contact:

  Janet Hassard
  NHS Retirement Fellowship (N.I.)
  c/o Bangor Community Hospital
  Castle Street
  Bangor
  BT20 4TA

  Telephone: 028 9066 4000

  Membership can be paid through a monthly deduction of £0.50 from your Health Service pension or by an annual payment.

• Pension Increases

  Public service pensions will be increased by a maximum of 6.7% from 8 April 2024 in line with the September-to-September increase in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).

• Pensioners Living Overseas

  We will write to our overseas pensioners every year asking them to complete and return a Declaration of Entitlement.

  DECLARATION OF ENTITLEMENT

• Pension Payment Dates 2024/2025

  Pension payment dates will normally fall on the last banking day of each month, with the only exception being December when we aim to arrange payment before the annual holidays. The payment dates are as follows:

  23/12/2024	Monday
  31/01/2025	Friday
  28/02/2025	Friday
  31/03/2025	Monday
  30/04/2025	Wednesday
  30/05/2025	Friday
  30/06/2025	Monday
  31/07/2025	Thursday
  29/08/2025	Friday
  30/09/2025	Tuesday
  31/10/2025	Friday
  28/11/2025	Friday

• Pension Pay Slips

  HSC Pension Service no longer issue pay advices by post.  Pensioners can view their payslips on Member Self Service.  To register or sign in please visit our HSC Member Self Service section.

• Pensioner Newsletters

  Pensioner Newsletters

   

• Pension Rules

  Different rules and benefits apply to pensioners (and therefore their dependants) depending on whether they retired (or died) on or before 1 April 2008, or after this date.

  Pre 1 April 2008 Retirements

  If you were drawing an HSC Pension on or before 31 March 2008, the changes to the HSC Pension Scheme effective from 1 April 2008 do not affect you, or the entitlements of any dependants’ you may have. The same rules and benefits will continue to apply to your pension as those described in the booklet ‘A guide for pensioners and their dependants’ that you were given when you retired.

  Post 1 April 2008 Retirements

  Spouses or partners of deceased Pension Scheme members who retired after 1 April 2008 will continue to receive benefits for life, regardless of whether they remarry or enter into another qualifying partnership.

  These changes will not apply to those people who are already receiving a pension from the scheme at 31 March 2008.

• P60s

  P60s for 2023/24 will be available to view and print on MSS by 31st May 2024.

• Re-Employment

  Re-Employment

  Many of our pensioners take up other employment after their original retirement from work. This may be with the same employer, or with a different company or body.

  It is important that you should contact us before doing so, as re-employment may have an impact upon the rate of your pension.