Hampshire Pension Services

Administering the Local Government Pension Scheme, Police and Fire schemes

Police pensioners

Police pension pay dates

Pensions are paid each month. If the date on which a pension is due to be paid is a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, it will be paid on the weekday before instead. You will receive a pension payslip each April and whenever your pension changes by more than a pound.

2013 / 2014 pension pay dates are:

Pension for month

Date of payment

Period

May 2013

1 May

1

June 2013

31 May

2

July 2013

1 July

3

August 2013

1 August

4

September 2013

30 August

5

October 2013

1 October

6

November 2013

1 November

7

December 2013

29 November

8

January 2014

31 December

9

February 2014

31 January

10

March 2014

28 February

11

April 2014

1 April

12
 

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 pension 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.

Your first payslip shows you:

  • 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
 

Tax codes

Should I tell you that I have 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 contacts 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.

What tax code are you using for my pension?

  • If you have paid income tax on your pension, the tax code will be on your most recent pension payslip.
  • Please contact HMRC if you think your tax code is wrong. You will need your National Insurance number and PAYE tax reference which is on your pension payslip.

Have you received my new tax code?

  • We may receive your new tax code a little after HMRC lets you know about it.
  • If the pension we pay to you each month changes by more than one pound we will send you a pensions advice slip showing your new tax code.
 

Change of details

Please write to Pensions Services as soon as possible, including your National Insurance number, if you need to update information we hold for you.

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.

Divorce or dissolution of civil partnership

Please send a letter that includes your National Insurance number, with 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.

 

May 2013

Payslips

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

March 2013:

Pensions paid into Cyprus bank accounts

At this time we are not suspending Hampshire Constabulary police pensions paid into Cypriot bank accounts. Phone, email or write to Pensions Services urgently if your pension is paid to a Cypriot account, and you would like it suspended or paid into a UK or other account.

Police AVCs: Equitable Life payment scheme

The Equitable Life payment scheme was set up to make payments to Equitable Life policyholders who suffered financial losses as a result of Government maladministration which occurred in the regulation of Equitable Life.  

The government has appointed Atos to administer the payment scheme. Under the scheme’s rules, Atos can only send payments directly to individual members. The Equitable Life Police AVC scheme is a group scheme, handled by individual police authorities.

Atos is setting up a process for members and former members of the Police group AVC scheme. If you think you may be eligible for a payment, you will soon be able to contact them directly to check. If you are eligible, Atos will ask you for an address and proof of identity before they can send you the payment.

Check the Equitable Life payment scheme website to see whether you could be eligible.

October 2012 - Commutation factors between 1998 and 2006 (update)

This follows from August's news, below. The Pensions Ombudsman still intends to consider the test brought by a member of the Firefighters' scheme and any decision is likely to affect Police pensions.

The verdict of a hearing in June 2012 was that the that the Ombudsman has jurisdiction for the entire relevant period. However, GAD has applied for permission to appeal against this judgement. The Ombudsman has stated that they will not proceed with the test case until the legal proceedings are settled.

Neither GAD nor the Home Office accept that commutation factors should have been higher between 1998 and 2006, and there is currently no liability to pay higher commutation lump sums for members who retired in this period. Such a liability may emerge following any ruling from the Ombudsman. GAD and the Home Office will consider whether any action is required.

The Ombudsman provides updates on its website: www.pensions-ombudsman.org.uk/News/

August 2012 - Commutation factors between 1998 and 2006

The Pensions Ombudsman intends to consider a test case brought by a member of the Firefighters’ scheme. The case concerns commutation factors which were not reviewed by the Government Actuary between 1998 and 2006.

The case has yet to be heard, as there have been hearings to determine whether the Ombudsman has jurisdiction over the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) for the whole period. A decision on the test case is likely to affect the Police Pension Scheme.

A liability to pay higher commutation lump sums to pensioners who retired between 1998 and 2006 may emerge. Once the Ombudsman rules on the case, its impact will be considered. Pensions Services will write to you if your lump sum needs to be increased.

 

Frequently asked questions - pensions in payment

If you cannot find the information you would like here, please contact us.


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Can you confirm the amount of my monthly pension?

This information will be on your most recent pension advice slip. We send them to you in April and May, and then whenever the pension you receive changes by more than £1. If you need your most recent pensions advice slip but cannot find it, please phone us so that we can post a copy to you. It can take up to 14 days for you to receive the copy.

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Can you confirm the amount of pension I received between certain dates?

You could check your pension P60 which is sent to you at the end of each tax year. Your most recent pension payslip would let you know how much pension we pay you each month.

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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. Please look at the pension pay dates page to see if this might have happened to your pension this month.
  • If you have checked your account using online banking 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. When you contact us, we may ask you to complete a form in the presence of a witness to make sure we are paying pension to the right person. We will begin paying your pension again as soon as possible, including any payments that were missed.
  • Please write to us if you have moved home.
  • Have you changed bank or building society? Perhaps you did not write to us in time for the payment to be made to your new account. Please check your old account if that is the case. You could also call us to see if we received the new details.

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Will my pension increase each year?

Pensions are increased yearly in line with inflation – this is called Pensions Increase. Pensions Increase is due in April each year.

  • 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.

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What is the lifetime allowance on my P60?

The lifetime allowance (LTA) is set by HM Revenue and Customs. On your P60 we show you how much of the lifetime allowance you have used with this pension. A link to the HM Revenue and Customs website is on our useful links page.

The capital value of all of a person’s pension rights are tested against the lifetime allowance (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.


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How much of my lifetime allowance have I used with my pension?

We send all pensioners a P60 each May. Your P60 shows how much of the lifetime allowance you have used with your pension. If you have retired recently, this information will be on the retirement letter we sent to you.

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When will I receive a pension payslip?

Not every month. If the pension we pay to you each month changes by more than one pound we will send you a pensions advice slip. You will also receive a pension advice slip in April and May each year.

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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. Other ways to contact us, and information about what will happen next, is on our page called Report a death.