Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Request

‘For each of the first four months of 2024, could you please let me know the following for all members of the NHS Pension scheme who requested their pension payments to begin within these dates:

1) Percentage of members who received their lump sum on the day following retirement, broken down into those who were retiring from active service and those who were making a deferred application.

2) Percentage of members who received their lump sum within 30 days of retirement, broken down into those who were retiring from active service and those who were making a deferred application.

3) Percentage of members who received their first pension payment within 30 days of retirement, broken down into those who were retiring from active service and those who were making a deferred application.

4) The number of members who did not receive their lump sum and/or first pension payment within the statutory target of 30 days, and the percentage of these who received notification of this by post, email or through the member hub within the 30 day period following retirement date.’

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 29 May 2024.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.

Our response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested in questions 1-3 and some of the information requested in question 4. A copy of the information is attached. Please read the below notes to ensure correct understanding of the data.

The attached spreadsheet includes the percentages requested for questions 1-3 broken down by retirement type (from active service or deferment), as well as by month. Question 4 is broken down the same way, however provided as a volume rather than a percentage as requested.

Members may be counted several times if they have claimed multiple distinct awards within the period.

A member may have ‘retired from deferment’ while still actively working in the NHS and contributing to the 2015 Scheme, if the benefits are being claimed are from the 1995/2008 Scheme without a Final Salary Link to the ongoing active service. These are known as de-coupled benefits.

Not all pension claims include a lump sum payment; any without a lump sum payment are excluded from the percentage calculations.

Question 4

Following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that information regarding out of target notifications received by members is not held by the NHS Business Services Authority.

Data Queries

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing, the data please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2024” Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.