NHS Pension - Unsure if opted out?

ant1979pry

Hi all,

My partner has been employes by the NHS in a bank staff position for about 3 years. She isn't currently enrolled on the pension but we have now realised that she needs to be and so will get this sorted a.s.a.p.

My question is whether or not there is any way of getting the enrollment backdated, there was an induction talk about pensions but she doesn't remember signing anything to say she wanted to 'opt out'. Do we just need to put this down to a bad decision or is it worth raising this?

Thanks in advance!!

quotememiserable

There's no way to backdate entry into a pension scheme.

BillyB

I recently had an induction with the NHS and to opt out of the pension scheme you had to fill in a form out of the back of the pension scheme booklet and send it off or you are automatically entered in to it. Not sure if it was the same then or if it is the same for bank staff.

ant1979pry

To be honest at first we thought the job would just be a couple of hours a month and actually after the first 6 months it picked up and we never thought to check out the pension angle. It could well be that she did sign something - it was 4 years ago so she isn't 100% sure. Just wondered if it is worth asking for verification of this.

kidmugsy

Again and again posters here will say "I didn't join the pension scheme because I didn't expect to be working there very long". I've never followed the logic of this; can anyone explain?

jackyann

BillyB - it is usually different for bank staff.
And kidmsugsy: I think if you take a full (or substantial part-time job) then it does make sense to be in a scheme, if only for a short time. But I have done a bit of NHS bank in my time, and it can be very small amounts. It ranges from people who don't do any hours for months at a time, or do just do one 3-4 hour session a week, through to those who make it up to a near full-time job. They often do this alongside other bank work, part-time or even full-time jobs.