Added Years was where members could buy additional years and days membership by paying additional contributions.
Full Cost Added Years contracts were available up until 31 March 2008.
Members were eligible to buy Half Cost Added Years if they took a refund of NHS contributions for a period of either:
- membership before 6 April 1978
- when they were a self-employed Practitioner.
Half Cost Added Years could be purchased after 31 March 2008 if the member was in the 1995 Section.
The terms of the contract depended on the member's:
- contributions at the time
- their predicted amount of membership at retirement.
The total amount of membership could not exceed 40 years at age 60.
Stopping an Added Years contract
If you want to stop your Added Years 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 received the instruction to end the Added Years 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 Added Years you’ve bought.
Having a break in pensionable membership
If you re-join within 12 months, you can resume your Added Years contract when you re-join the Scheme.
You cannot pay arrears on the missing period. This period will not count towards your Added Years.
If you do not re-join the Scheme within 12 months, you cannot resume the Added Years contract.
You’ll purchase less Added Years.
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 you worked part-time, the additional membership purchased will be worked out based on the number of pensionable hours actually worked.
Read more information on ill health retirement on our website.
Member has died
They’ll be credited with the full amount of membership they would have purchased if they had carried on making contributions until their NPA.
If they worked part-time, the additional membership purchased will be calculated based on the number of pensionable hours actually worked.
Read more information on Life Assurance and Family Benefits on our website.
Take pension benefits before Added years end date
Added years contracts normally end when a member reaches age 60 or 65. Special class members could have chosen age 55. If they take benefits before their payable age they will be actuarially reduced.