Civil Service-partial retirement

thomasag1

I have recently applied to claim my preserved Premium Civil Service pension. I have reduced my working week to 60%. I had to opt out of the main Alpha scheme and join the Government Commercial Office L & G scheme. MyCSP have informed me that I can’t claim my pension unless I opt back in or fully retire! I can’t opt back in on a GCO contract. They’ve promised me for months that I would get my quote and only at the last minute have changed the message.As I’m already now on reduced hours, this has created massive problems. Anybody know if they’ve got it wrong?

Kynthia

As far as I know you can only partially retire when you're an active member in the scheme, as the benefit is being able to continue working and contributing to the scheme whilst also claiming some of your pension but avoiding abatement.

As a deferred member abatement doesn't apply to you and you can't contribute to the scheme anymore. So the main reasons for partial retirement don't apply. You get to claim it or leave it.

german_keeper

Kynthia said:

As far as I know you can only partially retire when you're an active member in the scheme, as the benefit is being able to continue working and contributing to the scheme whilst also claiming some of your pension but avoiding abatement.

As a deferred member abatement doesn't apply to you and you can't contribute to the scheme anymore. So the main reasons for partial retirement don't apply. You get to claim it or leave it.

That's incorrect. I moved into Partnership in 2015, which is not part of PCSPS, and took partial retirement in 2019. There is nothing particularly complicated about PR; it is 2 processes, going part time via your line management and HR, and putting your pension into payment via MyCSP.

A colleague of mine in virtually the same circumstances was told by MyCSP that he couldn't take partial retirement. They did eventually come to their senses though.

And I think abatement does apply for a deferred member. Having said that I set my hours just below the abatement threshold so I suppose if it didn't apply I wouldn't have known. Maybe I could have done more hours and not suffered abatement.  

Edit for clarity: just making the point that there are deferred members still in the CS. Obviously the vast majority of deferred members are no longer in the CS so partial retirement and therefore abatement are irrelevant.

Suzycoll

thomasag1 said:

I have recently applied to claim my preserved Premium Civil Service pension. I have reduced my working week to 60%. I had to opt out of the main Alpha scheme and join the Government Commercial Office L & G scheme. MyCSP have informed me that I can’t claim my pension unless I opt back in or fully retire! I can’t opt back in on a GCO contract. They’ve promised me for months that I would get my quote and only at the last minute have changed the message.As I’m already now on reduced hours, this has created massive problems. Anybody know if they’ve got it wrong?

hi Thomas

I part retired from CS (2018) took lump sum (Classic)  and reduced my hours . I was then flipped over to Alpha ...well I was due to go into Alpha anyway I didn't have a choice. I just decided to part retire before I was flipped into it.

I am a bit confused by your post ! I was of the understanding that if you part required you are obviously still working for CS and will then pay into the Alpha pension automatically?

I have no idea why you 'had to'  opt out of Alpha and join L & G . Was it your choice t go into L & G ? Is it maybe because you were in Premium scheme? 

Apologies if I have misunderstood, sorry cant help further

take care  

thomasag1

Just for clarity. When I moved over to Government Commercial Office terms, the new contract meant I had to take the L & G Concord pension and come out of the Alpha scheme. I can’t opt back in under the GCO terms. I will still be paying into the L & G scheme on my reduced hours. I have raised the issue with GCO HR and raised a complaint with MyCSP (no reply yet). I still think they’re wrong, but don’t know where to go from here!

QrizB

thomasag1 said:

I have raised the issue with GCO HR and raised a complaint with MyCSP (no reply yet). I still think they’re wrong, but don’t know where to go from here!

Are you in the Trade Union (possibly Prospect?) that represents your bargaining unit? Have you spoken to them?

thomasag1

No unfortunately not in the trade union. I’m hoping HR might have some success. I will contact the ombudsman too, although that will take a while to resolve with them. 

german_keeper

thomasag1 said:

Just for clarity. When I moved over to Government Commercial Office terms, the new contract meant I had to take the L & G Concord pension and come out of the Alpha scheme. I can’t opt back in under the GCO terms. I will still be paying into the L & G scheme on my reduced hours. I have raised the issue with GCO HR and raised a complaint with MyCSP (no reply yet). I still think they’re wrong, but don’t know where to go from here!

I'd never heard of Concord scheme, just googled it and it looks very similar to the Partnership scheme. MyCSP helpline staff seem to struggle with Partnership and presumably Concord. I think their guidance is written on the assumption that the member has been in Partnership all the time.

I had the devil's own job just getting access to the online portal. 3 members of staff couldn't get past the guidance which told them that people in Partnership couldn't have access, which is of course logical if you have always been in Partnership as you have no PCSPS pension. Fourth time lucky I spoke to a manager who realised straight away that I was entitled to access as a Classic pensioner and sorted it out.

The example I quoted above of my colleague who was told he wasn't entitled to partial retirement seems very similar to your situation. The daft thing is that Partial retirement isn't really anything to do with MyCSP. All you are asking them to do is to put your deferred Premium pension into payment. My colleague did exactly the same as you with a complaint and a reference to our HR so hopefully that will do the trick. Good luck!  

Suzycoll

thomasag1 said:

No unfortunately not in the trade union. I’m hoping HR might have some success. I will contact the ombudsman too, although that will take a while to resolve with them. 

Thomas 
You are able to join the trade union now & I believe they will help you even though it's an historic problem?
Might be worth a phone call ?

NotsoHappy91

I totally understand what you're going through.
I have been told by MyCsp that I cannot have Partial retirement as I'm not an active member, I'm not in the Alpha scheme, but I was told I could have my old Premium pensions a deferred pension. Then I was told I couldn't have the Premium pension as a deferred pension as I was not an active member then because it wasn't an option with the Premium Pension scheme.
So I said I'd rejoin the Alpha scheme and become an active member and take Partial retirement, I was told I couldn't do this and now I've been told I can't rejoin the Alpha even with auto enrolment, I'm nowhere near State Pension age, I earn over £10,000 per year, I tick all the qualifying criteria, but I can't rejoin the Alpha scheme !!
Surely this is against the law ?
No matter what I try, no matter how I try to conform and fit in and qualify I'm being told "NO" if this isn't discrimination I don't know what is.
There is nothing on the MyCsp website for Partial Retirement other than you need be the minimum pension age, agree to cut your income by 20% and that your employer must agree to you re-shaping your job/role, there's NOTHING about being an active member.
So, how does it work ? Do they simply move the goalposts when it suits ?
Any input would be appreciated 

hugheskevi

I have been told by MyCsp that I cannot have Partial retirement as I'm not an active member

Have you fully opted-out of the pension, or did you switch to Partnership?

I'm not in the Alpha scheme, but I was told I could have my old Premium pensions a deferred pension. Then I was told I couldn't have the Premium pension as a deferred pension as I was not an active member then because it wasn't an option with the Premium Pension scheme.

A deferred pension can only be taken in full, not in part as with partial retirement. I'm not 100% familiar with the rules around taking deferred pension whilst in scheme employment, but I would expect abatement would apply, meaning if you did commence the deferred pension then it would be fully abated (ie you would not actually receive any money from the pension until you left employment).

So I said I'd rejoin the Alpha scheme and become an active member and take Partial retirement, I was told I couldn't do this and now I've been told I can't rejoin the Alpha even with auto enrolment, I'm nowhere near State Pension age, I earn over £10,000 per year, I tick all the qualifying criteria, but I can't rejoin the Alpha scheme !!
Surely this is against the law ?

This suggests you have switched to the Partnership scheme within the last 12 months? You can only switch once every 12 months, so if that is the case you would be able to join alpha at the relevant time.

If a Partnership member, that is an automatic enrolment compliant scheme once you have switched, so your employer would be fulfilling statutory pension obligations.

If fully opted out you should be able to rejoin alpha.

No matter what I try, no matter how I try to conform and fit in and qualify I'm being told "NO" if this isn't discrimination I don't know what is.

Which protected characteristic do you think is being breached, and who would the comparator be?

There is nothing on the MyCsp website for Partial Retirement other than you need be the minimum pension age, agree to cut your income by 20% and that your employer must agree to you re-shaping your job/role, there's NOTHING about being an active member.

Partial retirement has only ever been available to active members.