Content• Background – Kathryn Dooney, Communications Officer, NHS Pensions

˗ What is changing?

˗ What is Choice 2?

˗ Who does this affect?

˗ How Choice 2 will be delivered

˗ What do members need to do?

˗ The deadline for decisions

˗ What you need to do?

˗ Support available to you

• Employer experience – Bryan Logan, Pensions Account Manager, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust

• Partnership working – Nicola Lee, Employment Relations Advisor, Royal College of Nursing

• Timeline – Stephanie Leary, Pensions Programme Lead, NHS Employers

• Questions – Expert panel: Howard Robinson NHS Pensions Scheme Compliance,

Patrick Dolan NHS Pensions Choice 2 Programme Lead.

What is changing?

• On 1 April 2015 a new NHS Pension Scheme will be introduced

• This new Scheme will have a Normal Pension Age (NPA) equal to an individual’s State Pension Age (SPA)

• This means current 1995 section members who will join the 2015 NHS Pension Scheme will have a higher NPA for their 2015 benefits

• Had members known this when they made their original choice in 2009, it may have affected their Choice decision.

What is Choice 2?

• In the interests of fairness, those affected are being offered another opportunity to move their 1995 section membership to the 2008 section – this is Choice 2

• The choice may be advantageous to some members who intend to retire closer to their new NPA because the 2008 Section has a higher build up rate.

To be eligible for Choice 2, a member must:

• Be an active member of the 1995 Section of the Current Scheme on 31 March 2015

• Have tapered protection or no protection. Information about protection arrangements in the 2015 Scheme is available on the NHS Pensions website at http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/4019.aspx.

Who does this affect?

Approximately 500,000 members are eligible for 

Choice 2

How Choice 2 will be delivered

• NHS Pensions will produce personally addressed letters for each eligible member

• During October and November 2014, the enveloped letters will be delivered to employers to distribute to members

• Pensions Online (POL) will feature a list of information to help you identify who in your organisation is eligible for Choice 2. For non POL users a list will sent to the Pensions Officer for your organisation (please ensure your details are up to date by emailing nhsbsa.contactdetails@nhs.net)

• Online calculators and examples will be made available to members via the NHS Pensions website.

What do members need to do?

• Members will need to read their Choice 2 letter and other supporting information in full to understand the implications for them

• They will be encouraged through their letters to make use of the online calculators and examples

• Members will need to decide on their own likely retirement plans and establish whether Choice 2 is potentially beneficial to them

• If a member wants to move their benefits to the 2008 section, they complete the online response form (on the Choice 2 website) or request a hard copy from the member helpline.

• Paper forms should be clearly marked ‘Choice 2 declaration form’ and returned to NHS Pensions at: NHS Pensions, Hesketh House, 200-220 Broadway, Fleetwood, Lancashire, FY7 8LG

• Members who decide not to move do not need to do anything – their pre 2015 membership will remain in the 1995 section by default.

What do you need to do?

Plan now how you will ensure your staff receive their Choice 2 letters:

• You can choose to deliver these in the most effective way for

your organisation

• You must distribute the letters to all eligible members in

order to meet your Scheme Disclosure requirements

• You must deliver the letters to the members within four

weeks of receipt to ensure that eligible members have a

three month decision window.

What do you need to do?

Think about how you will signpost your staff to additional resources to support them through the decision making process including:

• High level information via the NHS Pension Scheme:

Arrangements beyond 1 April 2015 section of the NHS

Pensions website

• Dedicated member Choice 2 webpage on NHS Pensions

website

• Dedicated member telephone helpline and email address for

queries.

Support available to youNHS Pensions

• The employer helpline is now open 8:00-18:00 Monday to Friday,

0300 123 1701

• You can also email nhsbsa.choice2employers@nhs.net with your queries• Copies of Choice 2 letters will be made available on the Choice 2 website

before distribution to members. • There will be six different types of member letters for Choice 2:

o Officer non protectedo Practitioner non protectedo Special Class non protectedo Officer tapered protectiono Practitioner tapered protectiono Special Class tapered protection.

The content of these letters will essentially be the same but will vary slightly to meet the specific characteristics of each group.

Support available to you continued

NHS Employers

• www.nhsemployers.org/choice2 will be updated regularly

as information is available

• Choice 2 timeline is available to download and share the

key events for the Choice 2 exercise

• Employers can email us at pensions@nhsemployers.org.

The deadline for decisions

• All employees are encouraged to consider their Choice 2 information on

receipt• If they decide to move their benefits to the 2008 Section they should act

promptly and complete the online response form (or request a paper copy from the helpline)

The deadlines for NHS Pensions to receive Choice 2 decisions are:

Friday 30 January 2015, for those who receive their Choice 2 letter in October Friday 27 February 2015,for those who receive their Choice 2 letter in November.

Decisions cannot be changed once made.

Employer experience

Bryan Logan, Pensions Account Manager, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust

Communication

• Use the ‘Must Reads’ section of our intranet

• Set up information pages on our intranet site, giving details of the phone and email support of NHS Pensions

• Give open session presentations

• Utilise the ‘Screensaver’ function, for advertising Choice 2 and the presentations

• Offer ‘in house’ email and phone support to all staff.

Employer Presentations

• Open Sessions

• To aid understanding

• No direct information

• Open with 2015 Scheme outline

• Explain Protection and Tapered Protection

• Detail timescales.

Nicola Lee, Employment Relations Advisor,Royal College of Nursing

Working with staff side to engage with Choice 2

Effective working with staff side to...

• Provide information and reassurance about the process• Signpost to appropriate information sources• Tackle myths and rumours.

Timeline

www.nhsemployers.org/choice2

Choice 2 factsheets

www.nhsemployers.org/wlg

Questions