You may get a refund of your pension contributions if you:
- left the Scheme before your Normal Pension Age (NPA)
- have less than 2 years qualifying membership in the Scheme - this includes membership in previous sections of the Scheme
- have not had a transfer into the NHS Pension Scheme from a personal, money purchase or stakeholder pension
- are no longer contributing to the Scheme unless there’s been a disqualifying break between your current and previous period of membership
A disqualifying break is a break of 12 months or more in the 1995 and 2008 Section or 5 years or more in the 2015 Scheme.
If you've claimed a refund and rejoined within a month, the refunded membership counts as qualifying membership.
If you've paid contributions on or after your NPA, you're entitled to receive a pension.
Income tax is deducted before we refund your pension contributions.
If you’ve left employment due to sickness or redundancy, interest is added automatically before we refund your pension contributions.
To claim a refund, you must complete an RF12 form.
If you’re in active NHS employment, send this to your employer.
If you have more than one NHS employer, you only need to submit one RF12 form. This must go to the most recent employer that the refund period relates to.
If you’re no longer working in the NHS, send your RF12 form to NHS Pensions.
If your RF12 form is processed through Electronic Staff Record (ESR), it can take up to 12 weeks to receive your refund request.
We'll pay your refund within one month of receiving your RF12 form request. If there's information missing, we'll pay your refund within one month of receiving all the information needed.
Once we authorise your refund, a payment will be made to your bank account within 7 working days.
If you opt to have the refund paid to a nominee, a payable order in their name will be sent to their address.
A letter confirming the payment of your refund will be sent to you.
Employer's pension contributions are not refunded.
If you claim your pension benefits, return to work and rejoin the scheme, you would not be able to claim a refund of any contributions made to the new membership. You must opt out in the first month and your employer may refund your first month’s contribution.
Read more information about claiming a refund on our website.
Incorrectly submitted an RF12 form
If you're a Scheme member who's incorrectly submitted an RF12 form, contact your employer.
If you're an employing authority (EA) and you've incorrectly submitted an RF12 on behalf of one of your employees, you must email a copy of the RF12 to pensionsrefunds@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.