NHS pension. Special class status

Stryker009

QrizB said:

penfolduk22 said:

As it is highly unlikely that you will now qualify for special class status your retirement age is now 60 yrs on the 1995 scheme, any new pension payments will be in new scheme with normal pension age of 67. As mentioned you can retire at 55 but will, I believe, have a reduction of 25 percent of your pension (5 percent a year deduction between 55-60)

... so opting out of the pension scheme to save some money has cost you 25% of your pension (if you retire at 55 as planned) or five years of your life (if you stay in work to 60, to get the full pension).

Just confirmed with NHSBSA that special class status will apply when rejoining the pension scheme unreduced.

kaMelo

Stryker009 said:

QrizB said:

penfolduk22 said:

As it is highly unlikely that you will now qualify for special class status your retirement age is now 60 yrs on the 1995 scheme, any new pension payments will be in new scheme with normal pension age of 67. As mentioned you can retire at 55 but will, I believe, have a reduction of 25 percent of your pension (5 percent a year deduction between 55-60)

... so opting out of the pension scheme to save some money has cost you 25% of your pension (if you retire at 55 as planned) or five years of your life (if you stay in work to 60, to get the full pension).

Just confirmed with NHSBSA that special class status will apply when rejoining the pension scheme unreduced.

I don't know from whom you have received that but I would suspect it's nothing official as the information you have shared and my reading of the rules. it would appear to be wrong.

Other conditions apply but the important points seem to be these. To retain special class status you need to;
         Have membership in the 95 scheme without a continuous break of five years at any point and
         Have been a scheme member for the five years immediately preceding retirement.

You opted out of the pension scheme but haven't said whether there was a five year break in your membership yet, without that information no one can say whether you qualify or not on point one
You are 53 now and not currently a member.  Even if you qualify on point one you cannot qualify on point two as there isn't five years between now and when you turn 55. If you qualify on point one and re-join now then the earlies you would become eligible to retire under special class status would be Feb 2027, when you're 58.