A Pension Credit member is a former partner who became a member of the NHS Pension Scheme through a Pensions Sharing Order. This granted them a share of their former partner’s pension benefits.
They hold Pension Credit benefits in the NHS Pension Scheme in their own right.
Pension Credit benefits do not stop on:
- remarriage
- a new civil partnership
- death of the member.
Claiming Pension Credit benefits
You can claim your Pension Credit benefits when you reach the Normal Pension Age (NPA) of the Scheme your benefits were transferred from:
- 1995 Section is age 60
- 2008 Section is age 65
- 2015 Scheme is State Pension Age or age 65 if this is later.
If the Pension Sharing Order is made after the NPA of the Scheme your benefits are in, your pension will be payable from the date of the Order.
If your former partner has Special Class (SC) or Mental Health Officer (MHO) status, this allows them to retire with their full pension at age 55. You cannot take your full Pension Credit benefits at age 55.
If you’d like to take your benefits before your NPA, they’ll be reduced through Actuarially Reduced Early Retirement (ARER). To claim your Pension Credit benefits, download and complete the AW8PC application form.
Your full Pension Credit benefits can be paid before NPA if you become permanently incapable of any regular employment due to ill health. To apply for your Pension Credit pension on the grounds of ill health, complete an AW240(PC) form.
If you’ve accrued your own pension membership, your Pension Credit is treated separately. If you claim your Pension Credit, you can continue to work in NHS employment and pay into your NHS pension without taking a 24-hour break.