NHS Pension and Redundancy

Andy_L

https://www.gov.uk/fixed-term-contracts/renewing-or-ending-a-fixedterm-contract

"This is considered to be a dismissal, and if the employee has 2 years’ service the employer needs to show that there’s a ‘fair’ reason for not renewing the contract (eg, if they were planning to stop doing the work the contract was for).

Workers have the right:

• not to be unfairly dismissed after 2 years’ service - for employees who were in employment before 6 April 2012, it’s 1 year’s service
• to a written statement of reasons for not renewing the contract - after 1 year’s service

They may be entitled to statutory redundancy payments after 2 years’ service if the reason for non-renewal is redundancy."

There's a reason why FTCs are generally for just under 2 years

Somebody in HR has c0cked-up big time as you are now entitled to NHS redundancy for your full length of service

BMHurcombe

Hello.  I am in the same position as many of you on this forum. I took Partial Retirement on 1st April 2025 and reduced my hours by 10% so after working full time for 20 years I now work 30 hours per week. Before making my decision about Partial Retirement I took lots of advice from my NHS organisation HR Department, NHS Pensions and NHS Employers and read all of the documentation to ensure there was no down-side to taking Partial Retirement. Because this scheme does not involve a break in service and T&Cs remain the same I thought I was secure.  I now discover by chance that when my NHS organisation closes in March 2027 I will not be entitled to NHS Redundancy pay for my 20 years of service.  All I will get is payment for the period worked from 1st April 2025 to the date my employment is terminated.  I was not made aware of this at all and I think it is a very serious issue. Had I been aware I would not have opted for Partial Retirement. I was misled and it appears that I am not the only member of NHS staff to be affected. I understand that UNISON intend to challenge DHSC and I hope the issue can be resolved.  It is a scandal!

Dizzy221298

I too am in this position.  I took partial retirement in March 2025, to get my lump sum for home improvement's to enable my husband to come home from the hospice, he unfortunately didn't make it.  This seems so unfair.  I haven't had a break in service 35 yrs in total I reduced my hours by the required 10%.  I worked 37.5 hrs one week then back to work the next week on 30hrs. My lump sum was my money why should I be penalised and miss out on redundancy pay?  To say I feel let down by an institution that I respected and worked for for 35 yrs is an understatement.  I would love that Martin may look into this and get on his "soapbox" for all us NHS staff caught up in this awful situation.  I know the unions are disputing this :- This is why UNISON has approached the NHS Staff Council and DHSC to seek an urgent amendment to the wording of 16.6, such that full employment service counts for staff who have partially retired. 
This will take time and my CSU are looking at December to start the process with VR with staff leaving in March.  I'm hoping others read this and somehow gets the attention of Martin who if anyone can get such an unjust policy/decision overturned in parliament he can !!!!

jum

Hello.  I am in the same position as many of you on this forum. I took Partial Retirement on 1st April 2024 and reduced my hours by 10% so after working full time for 33 years I now work 30 hours per week. Before making my decision about Partial Retirement I took lots of advice from my NHS organisation HR Department, NHS Pensions and NHS Employers and read all of the documentation to ensure there was no down-side to taking Partial Retirement. Because this scheme does not involve a break in service and T&Cs remain the same I thought I was secure.  I now discover by chance that when my NHS organisation closes in March 2027 I will not be entitled to NHS Redundancy pay for my 33 years of service.  All I will get is payment for the period worked from 1st April 2024 to the date my employment is terminated.  I was not made aware of this at all and I think it is a very serious issue. Had I been aware I would not have opted for Partial Retirement. I was misled and it appears that I am not the only member of NHS staff to be affected. I understand that UNISON intend to challenge DHSC and I hope the issue can be resolved.  It is a scandal!

MeteredOut

BMHurcombe said:

Hello.  I am in the same position as many of you on this forum. I took Partial Retirement on 1st April 2025 and reduced my hours by 10% so after working full time for 20 years I now work 30 hours per week. Before making my decision about Partial Retirement I took lots of advice from my NHS organisation HR Department, NHS Pensions and NHS Employers and read all of the documentation to ensure there was no down-side to taking Partial Retirement. Because this scheme does not involve a break in service and T&Cs remain the same I thought I was secure.  I now discover by chance that when my NHS organisation closes in March 2027 I will not be entitled to NHS Redundancy pay for my 20 years of service.  All I will get is payment for the period worked from 1st April 2025 to the date my employment is terminated.  I was not made aware of this at all and I think it is a very serious issue. Had I been aware I would not have opted for Partial Retirement. I was misled and it appears that I am not the only member of NHS staff to be affected. I understand that UNISON intend to challenge DHSC and I hope the issue can be resolved.  It is a scandal!

jum said:

Hello.  I am in the same position as many of you on this forum. I took Partial Retirement on 1st April 2024 and reduced my hours by 10% so after working full time for 33 years I now work 30 hours per week. Before making my decision about Partial Retirement I took lots of advice from my NHS organisation HR Department, NHS Pensions and NHS Employers and read all of the documentation to ensure there was no down-side to taking Partial Retirement. Because this scheme does not involve a break in service and T&Cs remain the same I thought I was secure.  I now discover by chance that when my NHS organisation closes in March 2027 I will not be entitled to NHS Redundancy pay for my 33 years of service.  All I will get is payment for the period worked from 1st April 2024 to the date my employment is terminated.  I was not made aware of this at all and I think it is a very serious issue. Had I been aware I would not have opted for Partial Retirement. I was misled and it appears that I am not the only member of NHS staff to be affected. I understand that UNISON intend to challenge DHSC and I hope the issue can be resolved.  It is a scandal!

Same person, or is there a template being recommended somewhere? Likely the latter since the date & number of years has changed.

CruisingSaver

The abolition of NHS England was announced in March so anyone who made changes to their employment status, for want of a better phrase, should have already been aware that redundancy was very much on the cards, so no recompense will be forthcoming unfortunately.