Determining my NHS Pension from Years Ago

andyeyeam

My wife worked for the NHS between 1986 to 1989. She paid into a pension fund but we have no records of the payments made. Can anyone advise on how to determine if she has any right to a pension. She is 56 now and heading for retirement.

Thanks all

xylophone

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2016/05/pension-tracing-service-to-shed-light-on-long-lost-savings---check-online-if-youve-mislaid-thousands-/

Has she obtained a State Pension Statement?

https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Brynsam

xylophone wrote: »

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2016/05/pension-tracing-service-to-shed-light-on-long-lost-savings---check-online-if-youve-mislaid-thousands-/

Why not just go straight to the NHS scheme: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-pensions and ask if they have a record for her? NI number and DOB will be all that's needed in addition to her name.

Dox

Depending on the exact dates/period of membership, she might have taken a refund of contributions when she left NHS employment.

GunJack

Dox wrote: »

Depending on the exact dates/period of membership, she might have taken a refund of contributions when she left NHS employment.

Normally under 2 yrs service in Civil Service/LGPS/NHS type schemes, but the scheme will be able to clear it up. 86-89 would be over 2 yrs...

hyubh

GunJack wrote: »

Normally under 2 yrs service in Civil Service/LGPS/NHS type schemes, but the scheme will be able to clear it up. 86-89 would be over 2 yrs...

When covering legislation first required preserved pensions in the 70s, it was five years, which went down to two in 1988. IIRC, the only divergence from the legal minimum that a public sector scheme did was the LGPS, when the vesting period dropped down to 3 months for a time in the noughties. To be honest, I'm not sure how people whose service straddled the five-to-two change were handled, but if I were a betting man, I'd guess the OP's wife took a refund...

GunJack

hyubh wrote: »

When covering legislation first required preserved pensions in the 70s, it was five years, which went down to two in 1988. IIRC, the only divergence from the legal minimum that a public sector scheme did was the LGPS, when the vesting period dropped down to 3 months for a time in the noughties. To be honest, I'm not sure how people whose service straddled the five-to-two change were handled, but if I were a betting man, I'd guess the OP's wife took a refund...

You must be older than me, I only remember 2 years

Kynthia

GunJack wrote: »

Normally under 2 yrs service in Civil Service/LGPS/NHS type schemes, but the scheme will be able to clear it up. 86-89 would be over 2 yrs...

As has been said, it used to be five years were needed, plus the minimum age to join used to be older so many were too young when they started employment. In the civil service I don't think women paid into the scheme until 1987 (for a widowers pension) so there wouldn't be a record on payslips of scheme membership until then. So it's best the OP contacts the pension administrator to see if there's a pension.

GunJack

Kynthia wrote: »

As has been said, it used to be five years were needed, plus the minimum age to join used to be older so many were too young when they started employment. In the civil service I don't think women paid into the scheme until 1987 (for a widowers pension) so there wouldn't be a record on payslips of scheme membership until then. So it's best the OP contacts the pension administrator to see if there's a pension.

Hence why said the scheme should clarify....I'm still a pup and didn't start until '88