If you’re on sick leave, you cannot join the NHS Pension Scheme.
Check your contract of employment or discuss with your NHS employer if you’re eligible to receive pay during sick leave.
Contributions
If you’re already a member of the NHS Pension Scheme, you can continue to pay contributions during paid sick leave.
Full pay
Contributions are payable as normal for employers and members when a member goes into a period of paid sickness absence.
Reduced or suspended pay with or without Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
Employers
Contributions are payable on the members normal unreduced pay. This is the rate in payment before the pay was reduced.
Members
Contributions are payable on the actual reduced pay only.
If you’ve purchased added years (AY), contributions are payable on the normal salary rate. This is the rate in payment before the pay was reduced.
SSP only
Employers
Contributions are payable on the members normal unreduced pay. This is the rate in payment before their pay was reduced.
Members
Contributions are payable on SSP only.
If you’ve purchased AY, contributions are payable on the normal salary rate. This is the rate in payment before the pay was reduced.
No pay
All contributions stop.
The period of non-membership will show on your NHS Pension record as disallowed days.
Special Class (SC) status
You'll keep your SC status if you're on unpaid sick leave or nil sick pay.
If you reach your 55th birthday while you're on unpaid sick leave, you can claim your pension without any reduction if your employment has not been terminated.