Your NHS pension is one of the most valuable benefits you have. We provide personalised guidance to help you understand your scheme benefits, identify errors, navigate tax complexities, and make informed decisions about your retirement — tailored to your unique objectives.
Whether you are a Hospital Doctor, GP, Dentist, Nurse, or Senior Manager, your NHS pension comes with unique complexities. Different schemes, changing legislation, and personal career decisions all affect your retirement outcome.
Our NHS Pension Analysis is not a one-size-fits-all report. We take the time to understand your personal goals and objectives — whether that is planning for partial retirement, understanding the impact of a salary sacrifice car scheme, evaluating a change in working pattern, or assessing the true cost of Annual Allowance tax charges. Every analysis is tailored to your circumstances.
Critically, we review your pension records for errors and, where discrepancies are found, we follow up with NHSBSA on your behalf to get them corrected. This proactive approach has saved our clients significant sums in corrected tax charges and increased pension entitlements.
Important: Our NHS Pension service provides guidance based on the information you supply. We help you understand your options and their potential outcomes. Final pension decisions remain your personal responsibility. This is a guidance service and does not constitute regulated financial advice. The value of pensions and the income they produce can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than you invested.
A comprehensive, personalised report covering every aspect of your NHS pension position - from current benefits through to retirement projections and tax planning.
A detailed calculation of your accrued pension benefits across all scheme sections (1995, 2008, and 2015), giving you a clear snapshot of where you stand today.
Projections of your benefits to your chosen retirement date, including standard pension, maximum lump sum options, and the net monthly pension applicable to each scenario.
A summary of your current and future tax positions against both Annual Allowance and Lifetime Allowance thresholds, so you know exactly where you stand and can plan ahead.
We proactively review your pension records for discrepancies. Where errors are found, we liaise with NHSBSA to help resolve them - potentially saving you thousands in corrected charges and increased entitlements.
An assessment of the impact of using Scheme Pays to settle Annual Allowance tax charges, including how this affects your pension benefits so you can weigh the true cost before making a decision.
Personalised modelling aligned to your objectives - partial retirement, salary sacrifice arrangements, changes to working hours, additional responsibilities, or the impact of the McCloud ruling on your benefits.
We offer a range of fixed-fee services so you know exactly what you will pay. Your adviser will confirm the applicable fee before any work begins on your behalf.
Clarity and confidence in your pension position.
Our flagship service. We cut through the complexity of the NHS Pension Scheme and deliver a personalised report built around your goals — whether that is optimising your retirement date, understanding tax charges, or modelling the impact of career decisions on your pension.
We review your records for errors and follow up with NHSBSA to get them corrected. We model scenarios unique to you, including partial retirement, salary sacrifice car schemes, changes to working patterns, and more.
Discounted to £1,000 + VAT if you have completed an analysis in the last 24 months.
Affordable clarity for Agenda for Change Staff (AFC) up to and including Band 8D.
This streamlined service helps you understand your NHS pension benefits, your options at retirement, and how the McCloud Remedy may affect your service between 2015 and 2022.
Fully reclaimable through the NHS Cost Claim-Back Scheme
Understand your AA position before it is too late to act.
We complete a full review of your Annual Allowance position for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 tax years, confirming your pension input amounts, identifying unused allowance for carry forward, and highlighting any excess that may give rise to a tax charge.
We also provide an indication of your projected position for 2025/2026 based on current information, giving you clear visibility of any potential exposure in the coming year — months before official statements are issued.
Additional £150 + VAT for a personalised written report on estimated AA growth
Get the complete picture with both services combined at a fixed fee of £2,000 + VAT
Discounted to £1,500 + VAT for existing clients who have completed a Pension Analysis in the last 24 months.
Many NHS employers offer salary sacrifice arrangements — most commonly for lease car schemes, cycle-to-work, or additional childcare vouchers. While these can offer National Insurance savings, they reduce your pensionable pay, which directly impacts your NHS pension benefits and Annual Allowance position.
The interaction is not straightforward. A lower pensionable pay may reduce your pension growth, but it could also reduce an Annual Allowance tax charge. In some cases the tax saving outweighs the pension reduction — in other cases it does not. The answer depends entirely on your individual circumstances.
Salary sacrifice reduces your pensionable pay, which lowers the rate at which your pension accrues. We model the long-term effect on your projected retirement benefits.
Lower pensionable pay can reduce your pension input amount, potentially reducing or eliminating an Annual Allowance tax charge. We calculate the net effect for your specific situation.
Before entering into a salary sacrifice arrangement, you should understand the full financial picture. Our analysis models the exact trade-off so you can proceed with confidence.
| Annual Salary (Pre-Sacrifice) | £95,000 |
| Lease Car Sacrifice Amount | - £6,000 |
| New Pensionable Pay | £89,000 |
| Annual NI Saving | £720 |
| Reduction in Annual Pension Accrual | - £324 p.a. |
| Potential AA Tax Charge Reduction | £2,700 |
| Net Position | Scenario-Dependent |
Illustrative example only. Actual figures depend on your individual scheme membership, salary level, and personal circumstances. This does not constitute financial advice.
From initial registration to receiving your personalised report, we guide you through every step of the process.
Sign up via our registration link. During registration, you will provide your key details and tell us about your goals and objectives for the pension analysis. This helps us personalise the service to your exact needs — whether that is modelling partial retirement, understanding salary sacrifice impacts, or reviewing your Annual Allowance position.
You will receive our Terms of Business and Guidance Fee Authority via DocuSign for electronic signature. Once signed, an invoice will be issued for the agreed fixed fee. There is a 7-day cooling-off period from the date of signing.
You will receive a secure SharePoint link — your personal client portal — where you can upload your pension documents, payslips, Total Reward Statements, and any other relevant records. Our team will guide you on exactly which documents are needed and will follow up to ensure everything is in order.
Our team analyses your pension records in detail. We cross-reference your data, check for discrepancies in service records, pensionable pay, and Annual Allowance calculations. Where errors are found, we liaise directly with NHSBSA to get them investigated and corrected.
You receive a comprehensive written summary covering your projected benefits, tax position, scenario modelling, and clear guidance on your options and next steps. A follow-up consultation is included to walk you through the findings and answer any questions.
We provide guidance to NHS pension members across the following Health Boards, Trusts, and regions. If your employer is not listed, please get in touch — we are likely still able to help.
Cardiff and Vale University
Aneurin Bevan University
Cwm Taf Morgannwg
Bristol
Swansea
Southmead
Public Health Wales
and more...
Featured below are the ones our clients ask for most frequently.
Excellent, swift, open and honest advice provided to help me plan for my retirement in 0years time
Dinesh has been an invaluable source of knowledge and support in all aspects of our financial planning and I regularly recommend him to family, friends and colleagues.
Professional, friendly, very responsive to questions and explained answers to my questions so that I can understand.
Professional, friendly, very responsive to questions and explained answers to my questions so that I can understand.
The NHS Pension Scheme is a defined benefit workplace pension provided to eligible NHS staff across England and Wales. Unlike personal pensions where your retirement income depends on how investments perform, the NHS Pension Scheme guarantees you a pension based on a set formula linked to your pay and years of service.
It is widely regarded as one of the most valuable employee benefits in the UK. For every £1 you contribute, your employer typically puts in around £2–£3 on top, making it an exceptionally generous arrangement.
The scheme is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, and there are currently three different sections of the scheme — known as the 1995 Section, the 2008 Section, and the 2015 Scheme — each with its own rules for calculating benefits.
The key differences lie in how your pension is calculated, when you can retire, and what lump sum you receive.
1995 Section: This is a final salary scheme. Your pension is calculated as 1/80th of your best final pensionable pay for each year of membership. You also receive an automatic tax-free lump sum equal to three times your annual pension at retirement. The normal pension age under this section is 60.
2008 Section: Also a final salary scheme, but your pension is calculated at a more generous rate of 1/60th of reckonable pay per year of service. However, there is no automatic lump sum — you may choose to exchange some of your pension for a lump sum instead. The normal pension age is 65.
2015 Scheme: This is a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme, meaning your pension is built up each year based on a fraction (1/54th) of your actual pensionable earnings in that year. Each year’s pension is then increased annually in line with CPI plus 1.5%. The normal pension age is linked to your State Pension Age.
Since 1 April 2022, all active NHS Pension Scheme members now build up benefits in the 2015 Scheme, regardless of which section they were previously in. Many long-serving NHS staff will have pension benefits spread across more than one section.
Your contribution rate is based on your actual annual pensionable pay and ranges from 5.2% to 12.5%, depending on your earnings. The rates are structured in tiers — the more you earn, the higher the percentage you pay. These tiers are reviewed and updated each April.
From 1 October 2022, contribution rates have been based on your actual pensionable pay rather than your whole-time equivalent salary. This is particularly important if you work part-time, as you pay contributions on what you actually earn rather than what you would earn if you worked full-time.
Your employer also contributes a significant amount on top — currently 23.7% of your pensionable pay. This is a major part of what makes the NHS Pension Scheme so valuable.
For the vast majority of NHS staff, the pension scheme is extremely valuable and opting out is unlikely to be in your best interests. The employer contribution alone is worth around 23.7% of your salary — this is essentially free money that you lose if you opt out.
The scheme provides a guaranteed income in retirement that increases each year with inflation (CPI), meaning your pension keeps pace with the rising cost of living. It also provides valuable benefits for your dependants in the event of your death, both before and after retirement.
However, there are specific circumstances — particularly for very high earners who face significant Annual Allowance tax charges — where the continued cost of membership may need careful consideration. This is where professional pension guidance tailored to your individual situation becomes essential.
The Annual Allowance is the maximum amount that your pension benefits can grow in a single tax year (6 April to 5 April) before you face an additional tax charge. It is set by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
The standard Annual Allowance is currently £60,000 (from the 2023/24 tax year onwards, having been increased from £40,000). This limit applies to the total growth in the value of your pension benefits across all pension schemes you belong to, not just the NHS Pension Scheme.
If the growth in the value of your pension benefits exceeds your available Annual Allowance in a given tax year, the excess amount is added to your taxable income and you will be required to pay a tax charge at your marginal rate of income tax.
This is a crucial point that catches many NHS staff by surprise. Your pension growth for Annual Allowance purposes is not simply the amount you and your employer have paid in contributions during the year. Instead, HMRC uses a formula to calculate the increase in the capital value of your pension benefits.
The standard formula is: Pension Input Amount = (Annual Pension at end of year × 16) + any automatic lump sum − [(Annual Pension at start of year × 16) + any automatic lump sum + CPI adjustment]
The “× 16” multiplier is the factor HMRC uses to convert your annual pension into an estimated capital value. This means that even a relatively modest increase in your annual pension can translate into a much larger growth figure for tax purposes. For example, a £2,000 increase in your annual pension equates to a pension input amount of £32,000 (£2,000 × 16).
For members with 1995 Section benefits, the automatic lump sum (3× annual pension) is also included in the calculation, making the effective multiplier 19 rather than 16 for that portion of your benefits.
While the majority of NHS staff will never exceed their Annual Allowance, certain groups are at higher risk. You are more likely to be affected if you have long service in the NHS Pension Scheme, particularly with membership in the legacy 1995 or 2008 Sections; if you receive a significant increase in pensionable pay during the year through a promotion, regrading, or taking on additional responsibilities; if you are a higher earner whose total income and pension growth may trigger the tapered Annual Allowance; or if you hold benefits across multiple pension schemes.
Consultants, GPs, senior managers, and other high-earning NHS professionals are the groups most commonly affected.
