Central government pensions

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There are a number of pension schemes which operate within the central government sector in England and Wales.

The largest schemes are:

  1. •

    the NHS Pension Scheme

  2. •

    the Teachers’ Pension Scheme

  3. •

    the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme

All three schemes are unfunded statutory public service pension schemes.

In addition to the three largest schemes, there are also a range of other schemes operating within the sector, including:

  1. •

    the Armed Forces Pension Scheme

  2. •

    the Police Pension Scheme

  3. •

    the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund for MPs

For information on public sector pension schemes in Scotland, see Practice Note: Public sector pension schemes in England and Scotland—key differences.

The NHS Pension Scheme

The NHS Pension Scheme (NHSPS) is a multi-employer, unfunded, defined benefit (DB) public service occupational pension scheme for employees of the NHS in England and Wales. The scheme rules are set and amended by statutory instrument.

The NHSPS was reformed over time and different rules apply to members depending on when they joined.

Members who joined the NHSPS before 1 April 2008 participated in the ‘1995 section’ which provides final salary

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