Civil service vol redundancy payment - when do you have to pay it back?

ukri

My partner joined a gov dept straight after graduation and left after 4 years under voluntary redundancy, back in 2017. She got a lump sum tax free payment for the same at the time. She moved on to the private sector.

she is now considering applying for a job in a another gov department.

Please does anyone know if under civil service rules she will be required to pay back the redundancy payment received in 2017?

lonibra

I know that you have to pay it back if you move straight to another CS job. But since you have had a private sector job in between and are not joining the same department (are you?), not sure what happens in that case.

Rodders53

Read the supplied documentation from that redundancy?  Any such requirement would have to be spelled out very, very clearly to be fair.  Most such employers have a 6-12month rule on return... Many simply won't re-hire within that period.

Google found this for me:  and https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/recovery-of-public-sector-exit-payments but that's for really high earners and proposed a 12-month rule?

I suggest it would be most unlikely to be an issue, four years after the original event.

Andy_L

"If you are re-employed in an organisation covered by the Civil Service pension and compensation arrangements within 28 days of leaving your current employer, your compensation will be cancelled and your service will be treated as continuous.

You will have to repay the full compensation amount. This will also apply if your compensation was used to buy out a reduction in your pension.

If you are re-employed in an organisation covered by the Civil Service pensions and compensation arrangements outside the 28 day period, but within the lesser of:

a) six months, and

b) the notional period of the compensation payment. 

You will have to pay back the compensation payment pro-rata. The repayment would be reduced if your new employment is at a lower salary level than before. In all cases, if you have taken your pension on leaving, it may be subject to abatement on re-employment.

Re-payment is not required if re-employment is for less than 15 days in any 91 day period, or for multiple periods totalling less than 15 days in any 91 day period."

https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/members/civil-service-compensation-scheme-for-members/faqs-civil-service-compensation-scheme-for-members/

https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/members/civil-service-compensation-scheme-for-members/