NHS 1995 v 2015 anomaly on taking benefits

Lowtrawler

I have been in discussion on a recent thread regarding flexible retirement options in the NHS pension scheme. To my mind, there has been a longstanding anomaly between the 1995 Scheme and 2015 Scheme which needs to be addressed.

Workers in the 1995 scheme have built up benefits to which they will be entitled, without reduction, at 60. However, they will be contributing to the 2015 scheme for their more recent pension entitlement and will not be able to claim their 1995 Pension without leaving the 2015 Scheme. Thus, to access benefits to which they are entitled, they would need to forego building up future benefits in the NHS Scheme.

I would not have a problem with this if the 1995 scheme benefits were increased after age 60 as if they had been deferred but they are not. They simply receive the normal annual uprating. If workers remain in the 2015 scheme until 67, and so can only access their 1995 benefits at that point, they have lost out on 7 years of payments from the 1995 scheme. In effect, the value of each year of pension benefit through remaining in the 2015 scheme after age 60 is reduced by the 1995 payment foregone.

Are there any efforts underway to address this anomaly?