WORKPLACE PENSIONS New pension laws mean all CQC workers entitled to be enrolled into a workplace pension must be automatically enrolled from 1 August 2013, or from their start dates if later than this. You are entitled to be enrolled if you are: Earning over 10,000.00 a year ( 833.00 monthly) Aged 22 or over Under state pension age. You can opt out if you want to, but if you don't you will have your own pension which you can get when you retire. CQC workers Automatic enrolment into a workplace pension applies to anyone who is defined as being a 'worker' under the new rules. We have assessed the CQC workforce, and decided (with the help of legal advice and guidance from the pension s regulator) that CQC workers include all staff under a normal contract of employment with CQC, and: Mental Health Act Commissioners Second Opinion Appointed Doctors all staff on zero hour/casual contracts. The new rules exclude: Honorary appointments (The Chair and the Board) Agency workers Experts by Experience Staff seconded-in (duties rest with the other employer). Which pension scheme? We have taken guidance from The Pensions Regulator, the Department of Health and also advisors from the NHS Employers Organisation, and will be operating the NHS Pension Scheme for automatic enrolment (as we do already for all new starters). If you are not eligible to join the NHS Pension Scheme, we will be using NEST (National Employment Savings Trust) instead, for instance: where you are already getting an NHS pension, and because of the type of pension you are getting, the rules of the pension scheme do not allow you to re-join.
NHS Pension Scheme: New Starter Questionnaire 1 Questionnaire to be completed by every new starter: Employee Details Surname: Contact Telephone Number: Job Title: Question 1 Have you previously been a member of the NHS Pension Scheme and taken pension benefits. / (X) Forenames: Comments Go to question 2 Please confirm the details of your retirement and go to the bottom of this form sign and date it Please indicate which NHS Retirement Benefit you are in receipt of: Retirement Early Retirement Ill Health Retirement Redundancy Other Please indicate which section of the scheme you were a member of: 1995 section 2008 section Please confirm the date you claimed your NHS Pension: We will contact you regarding alternative pension provision.
2 Are you purchasing additional membership of the NHS Pension Scheme? 3 Do you have an on-going arrangement to purchase additional pension with the NHS Pension Scheme? 4 Will you currently have more than one contracted employment also contributing to the NHS Pension Scheme? Please confirm contract details below, then go to question 4: Additional Membership being paid at % Contract end date: age 55 / / age 60 / / age 65 / / Amount of membership being purchased: years days We will ask our NHS SBS Payroll Team to set up this contract and deduct contributions from your start date with CQC. Go to question 3 Please confirm contract details below, then go to question 5: Monthly Contribution: Completion Date:. / / We will ask our NHS SBS Payroll Team to set up this contract and deduct contributions from the start date of this assignment. (If you have had a break between employments please also log a call to the NHS SBS Pensions Team via their Service Desk 0303 124 1144, quoting your assignment or NI number. Contributions due for the break will need to be recovered). Go to question 4 Please confirm the number of contracted hours you are working and paying pension contributions for each employment below, then go to question 6: Employment 1 hrs Employment 2 hrs Employment 3 hrs Our NHS SBS Pensions Team will only pension this employment up to whole time equivalent hours. Go to question 5
5 If you were contributing into the NHS Pension Scheme with your previous employer, did you receive payment for any untaken annual leave in your final salary? 6 Do you have any previous non NHS pension arrangements that you are considering Transferring into the NHS Pension Scheme? 7 Do you have Mental Health Officer or Special Class Status with previous membership of the NHS Pension Scheme? 8 Is your role with CQC an Honorary Employment or Public Appointment (Ignore if the answer is no): Please confirm date of leaving with untaken annual leave included (e.g. Last day 31/03/12 but final salary included 3 days untaken annual leave, then the date below will be 03/04/12): Date of Leaving (Inc. untaken A/L): / / Our NHS SBS Pensions Team will enter you into the NHS Pension Scheme for this assignment on the following day or your start date with CQC, whichever is the later. Go to question 6 Applications have to be made within 12 months of being eligible to join the NHS Pension Scheme (within 12 months of your start date with CQC). Please log a call to our NHS SBS Pensions Team via their Service Desk 0303 123 1144, quoting your assignment or NI number, home address and request a Transfer Pack Go to question 8 Go to question 7 Please log a call to the NHS SBS Pensions Team via their Service Desk 0303 123 1144, quoting your assignment or NI number, to request confirmation of eligibility to retain this status in your employment with CQC. Please sign and date this form Go to question 8 Please sign and date this form After you have entered the necessary information to complete this questionnaire, please sign and date the form and return to CQC Human Resources, PO Box 1297, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA or Fax to 0191 233 3635. Signed: Date: / /
NOTES FOR EMPLOYEE s You Can t Join the NHS Pension Scheme? The following employees are not entitled to join the NHS Pension Scheme: and will be automatically excluded from being a member. If you fall within one of the categories below, then please ensure you send the completed Questionnaire as soon as possible to the CQC Human Resources, PO Box 1297, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA or Fax to 0191 233 3635. Honorary/Appointed Employees Employees who are whole time with another employer in the NHS Pension Scheme Re-employed Pensioners over 50 in receipt of a pension (1995 Scheme arrangements) n-executive Board members. Those in receipt of payment of widows or widowers initial pension. Do you have an Added Years Contract? If you have an added year s contract but cannot remember the details, telephone NHS Pensions on 0845 421 4000 for confirmation of the contract details. Do you have an Additional Pension Contract? If you have an additional pension contract but cannot remember the details, telephone NHS Pensions on 0845 421 4000 for confirmation of the contract details. Do all your NHS employments including any bank exceed whole-time? You can only be pensioned up to the whole time equivalent for the grade in total for all your NHS employments. If you do not tell us, then you will be paying too much in pension contributions which may need to be refunded later as your service will be over subscribed. Did you get paid for your annual leave when you have just left another NHS Employment?
Your last NHS employer will have taken pension contributions up to and including the date your annual leave ceased, if this was added on to your final payment. As a result you may have already paid contributions for the first few days of your new employment with CQC. Please advise us what dates you were paid up to which will enable us to adjust the pension start date with us. This only applies if you have immediately left one Employment in the NHS Pension Scheme and started with CQC without any break, (and received a payment for untaken annual leave). Did you previously have Special Class/Mental Health Officer Status in your previous NHS employment? You will need to log a call to our NHS SBS Pensions Team via their Service Desk 0303 123 1144 to confirm eligibility to retain this status.