AY is where you can buy additional years and days membership by paying additional contributions.
Full Cost AY contracts were available up until 31 March 2009.
You're eligible to buy Half Cost AY if you're a member of the 1995 Section and took a refund of NHS contributions for a period of either:
- membership before 6 April 1978
- when you were a self-employed practitioner
The terms of the contract depends on your:
- contributions at the time
- predicted amount of membership at retirement
The total amount of membership cannot exceed 40 years at age 60 unless you're a Special Class status (SCS) or mental health officer (MHO) member.
If you're a SCS or MHO member, the total amount of membership cannot exceed 40 years at age 55 including any doubled years for members with MHO status.
Read more information about Half Cost AY on our website.
Stopping an AY contract
If you want to stop your AY contract early, you must write to us with a brief explanation why. We’ll reply to you and your employer with the decision.
The date this will be effective from is the date we receive the instruction to end the AY contract or the end of the monthly pay period.
If the effective date is different, this will be included in the reply to you and your employer.
The reply will show the amount of AY you’ve bought up to the date they're stopped.
Having a break in pensionable membership
If you rejoin within 12 months, you can resume your AY contract when you rejoin the Scheme.
You cannot pay arrears on the missing period. This period will not count towards your AY.
If you do not rejoin the Scheme within 12 months, you cannot resume the AY contract.
You’ll receive a credit for the amount of contributions you've already paid. You cannot contribute further to this purchase.
Retiring under ill health
You’ll be credited with the full amount of membership you would have purchased had you carried on making contributions until your normal pension age (NPA) if the AY election started more than 12 months before you became entitled to an ill health pension.
If you become entitled to an ill health pension less than 12 months after the election begins, the election will be cancelled. You'll receive a return of the contributions paid.
If you worked part-time, the additional membership purchased will be worked out based on the number of pensionable hours worked.
You can read more information about ill health retirement on our website.
Member has died
If the AY contract started more than 12 months before they died, the member will be credited with the full amount of membership they would have purchased if they had carried on making contributions until their NPA.
The election will be cancelled and the contributions will be returned.
If the member worked part-time, the additional membership purchased will be calculated based on the number of pensionable hours worked.
Read more information about bereavements on our website.
Take pension benefits before AY end date
AY contracts normally end when you reach age 60 or 65.
SCS members may have chosen age 55. If you take your benefits before your payable age, your benefits will be actuarially reduced.