Pay dates

Firefighters' Pension Scheme

New Firefighters' Pension Scheme

Firefighters' Pension Scheme - pension pay dates

Pensions are paid in advance on the first day of the month. Where the first day is a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday, pensions are paid the weekday before. You will receive a pensions payslip each April and whenever your pension changes by more than a pound.

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New Firefighters' Pension Scheme - pension pay dates

Pensions are paid in arrears on the last weekday (Monday to Friday) of the month. Where the last weekday is a bank holiday, pensions are paid the weekday before. You will receive a pensions payslip each April and whenever your pension changes by more than a pound.

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May 2013

The tax office phone number on your April/May payslips was incorrect. The correct telephone number is 0845 3000 627, as in your recent pensioner newsletter. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

April 2013

• Pensioners' newsletter

Changes of details

Please contact Pensions Services as soon as possible if your circumstances change. Please send a signed letter that incudes your National Insurance number - we cannot accept the information by email or phone.

Change of address

Please write to us if you move home. Please include your National Insurance number and signature, as well as your new address and postcode. Unfortunately we cannot accept changes of address by email or over the telephone.

Change bank or building society account

Please send a signed letter to Pensions Services. It must include:

• your name and address
• National Insurance number
• new bank or building society details
• your signature

If your letter arrives after about the middle of the month, your record may not be updated in time for the next pension payment. Your pension record would be updated in time for the payment after that. You may wish to keep your old account open until payments are being sent to your new account. We will write to tell you when we have updated your record.

Marriage or civil partnership

Please send a letter that includes your National Insurance number, with a photocopy of your marriage or civil partnership certificate.

Separation, divorce or dissolution of civil partnership

Please send a letter that includes your National Insurance number. If relevant, please enclose a photocopy of your decree absolute or final order.

Change of name

Please send a signed letter that includes your National Insurance number, with photocopy of your change of name deed.

Tax codes

When you receive a new tax code

You do not need to tell us if you receive a new tax code. We are not allowed to change the tax code for your pension until notified by HMRC, which may be a little after HMRC contacted you about it.

We will send you a payslip if the pension we pay to you each month changes by more than a pound because of a new tax code.

How to tell what tax code applies to your pension

If you have paid income tax on your pension, the tax code will be on your most recent pension payslip. If you think we have the wrong code, then please contact HMRC. You will need your National Insurance number and tax reference which will be on your pension payslip.

Basic rate (BR) tax code

The basic rate (BR) tax code might be the correct one for your pension. If you are not sure, please contact HMRC. Their contact information is on our useful links page.

When your pension is first paid, if we had not received a P45 from your employer, we have to use a basic rate code. If we receive a P45 we may use the tax code from it on a month one basis. We tell HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) that we have begun to pay your pension so that they can give us the right code to use in the future.

Pension payslips

Your payslip shows you:

• gross pension - pension you are due for that month - on the left hand side
• deductions - such as tax or membership subscriptions - on the right hand side
• net amount of pension - pension, less any tax and membership subscriptions - at the bottom

Your first payslip:

We may not have time to make your first pension payment in the first regular payroll run after you retire. Your first pension payslip will show you everything due to you since you retired.

• gross pension - pension due since from your retirement date to the first regular pension payment - on the left hand side
• deductions - such as tax or membership subscriptions - on the right hand side
• net amount of pension - pension, less any tax and membership subscriptions - at the bottom

Re-employment

If you are employed in any capacity with any fire and rescue authority covered by the Firefighters' Pension Scheme (FPS), New Firefighters' Pension Scheme (NFPS) or as a fire civilian covered by the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), you must

• inform your new employer that you are receiving a FPS or NFPS pension and
• write to Pensions Services including your salary, grade and hours, and of any subsequent change.

Such employment may affect the amount of your pension

Your pension could be overpaid if you do not notify Pensions Services of your re-employment. If this happens, the overpayment will be recovered from your future pension payments.

Questions - pensions in payment

Can you confirm the amount of my monthly pension?

This information will be on your most recent pension payslip. We send them to you in April, May, or if the pension you receive changes by more than £1. Please phone us if you need a copy of a payslip. It can take up to 14 days for you to receive the copy.

I have not received my pension this month, what’s happened?

If you have not received your pension please contact us as soon as possible.

• If the pension is due to be paid on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday we pay the pension on the weekday before.
• If you have checked your account online or at an ATM (cash point), some information may not show straight away. You could ask at your bank or building society or try again the next day.
• If mail we sent you has been returned to us by Royal Mail we may temporarily stop your pension. Please contact us; we may ask you to complete a form in the presence of a witness to make sure we pay pension to the right person. We will pay your pension again as soon as possible.
• If you have changed your bank or building society please check your old account. You could also call us to see if we received the new details.

Will my pension increase each year?

Pensions are increased each April in line with inflation – this is called pensions increase. If your pension has been in payment for less than a year, you will not receive full pensions increase. Your pension will not be increased if you are below age 55 (unless you retired due to ill health).

If you are eligible for Pensions Increase:

• your pension for April will include Pensions Increase to cover the part month April increase.
• payments for May onwards will include pensions increase for the full month.
• there will not be any Pensions Increase in years when CPI is zero.

What is the lifetime allowance?

The lifetime allowance (LTA) is set by HM Revenue and Customs. The capital value of all of a person’s pension rights are tested against the LTA each time they take pension benefits. If the total of all your pensions is more than the LTA (or any lifetime allowance protection) extra tax will be due on the excess. The lifetime allowance does not include state retirement pension, state pension credit, spouse’s, civil partner’s or dependant’s pensions.

How to tell us about the death of a pensioner

To tell us if a pensioner has died please telephone us on 01962 845588 as soon as possible. You can email or write to us if you prefer.