All NHS staff have the option to join the NHS pension scheme. The key benefits of this scheme are:
- A final salary pension based on the salary you earn towards the end of your career
- A tax-free lump sum on retirement of three times your pension
- Life assurance cover while working, with a death benefit of twice your pensionable pay for your spouse or other person nominated by you.
You make payments towards the scheme of six percent of your own salary. However, the actual cost to you of these payments after tax relief and reduced National Insurance contributions is about three-and-a-half percent. The NHS contributes an additional 14 percent making the total package worth around 20 percent of your pay.
Your eventual pension will be calculated as 1/80th of your final salary for each full year you work in the NHS. Pension rights are transferable to other schemes and may be carried forward over any breaks in your working life. You will also be able to buy extra years of entitlement while you are a member of the scheme. NHS Pensions benefits are index-linked with inflation.
For more information visit the
Scottish Public Pensions Agency website.