Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Request

‘Please can you tell me how many individual pensions in payment from the NHS pension scheme are over £50,000 a year.

Please can you also tell me how many individual pensions in payment from the NHS pension scheme are over £100,000 a year.

I would like the information for this tax year (25/26) and the previous tax year (24/25).’

[On 24 April 2025 we sent you the following clarification request]

Can you please clarify if you require the rates in payment on a specific date each year (i.e. 01/04/2024 and 01/04/2025 respectively), or to flag anyone whose rate has ever exceeded £50k/£100k in the year, even if they do not have that rate now?

Can you also please clarify if you would like us to include any pensions which are now ceased (e.g. deceased members), even if they were in payment in the years requested?

[On 30 April 2025 you clarified your request as follows]

To clarify, let's say on the specific date of April 6th.

So the number of pensions exceeding £50k and £100k on 6/4/25 and so on.

Yes please, do include those (pensions which are now ceased).

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 9 April 2025, with clarification received on 30 April 2025.

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

Our response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested. Please read the below notes to ensure correct understanding of the data.

Dependants and pension credit members are included in the below volumes, as are members who are now deceased and no longer in receipt of benefits.

Pension rate is based on the active rate in payment at the start of the tax year (6 April). This does not necessarily mean that the member held that pension rate for the previous or subsequent 12 months, as rates can change throughout the year.

These volumes reflect the number of members in payment in the year in question; it isn’t necessarily the year the pension began, it is an ongoing rolling figure. Some members may not be in receipt of a pension in subsequent years.

It doesn’t include lump sum payments, only ongoing annual pension.

Members who are in receipt of benefits in excess of £100k are also counted as having benefits in excess of £50k

Data

The volume of members with an annual pension rate in payment exceeding £50k, on 06 April 2024 was 41,968.

The volume of members with an annual pension rate in payment exceeding £100k, on 06 April 2024 was 1,958.

The volume of members with an annual pension rate in payment exceeding £50k, on 06 April 2025 was 48,191.

The volume of members with an annual pension rate in payment exceeding £100k, on 06 April 2025 was 3,154.

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

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 2025”. 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.