Members of the 1987 Scheme or the 2006 Scheme with full transitional protection or tapered protection remain in their existing schemes (for those in tapered protection, until their tapered protection period ends).
The qualification criteria for tapered protection is set out in the Reform Design Framework dated 4 September 2012.
If you have full transitional protection or tapered protection in the 1987 Scheme or the 2006 Scheme (and your tapered protection period has not expired), but you opt out, on opting back in you will be re-enrolled onto the 2006 Scheme if you do not have a gap in service exceeding 5 years.
Full transitional protection
There is full transitional protection for certain categories of members. You will have full transitional protection if:
- you are an active 2006 Scheme member and had 10 years or less to your
current normal pension age (NPA) (age 55) as of 1 April 2012 - you are an active 1987 Scheme member and had 10 years or less to age 55 as of 1 April 2012, or had 10 years or less to age 48 and were 10 years or less from a maximum unreduced pension as of 1 April 2012
If you have full transitional protection there will be no change as to when you can retire nor will you be subject to any decrease in the amount of pension you receive at your current NPA.
This protection will be achieved if you remain in your current scheme until you retire.
Returning after a gap in service not exceeding 5 years
If you were in the 2006 Scheme prior to your gap in service not exceeding 5 years, you will return to the 2006 Scheme if you were eligible for full transitional protection, or if you qualified for tapered protection and your tapered protection period has not expired.
If you were eligible for full transitional protection or tapered protection in the 1987 Scheme prior to your gap in service not exceeding 5 years, you will enter the 2006 Scheme until your tapered protection period expires.
If your gap in service exceeds 5 years or your tapered protection period has expired you will join the 2015 Scheme.
Transfers in and out within the Public Sector Transfer Club
Transfers in
Regardless of whether or not you choose to transfer your benefits, if you qualified for full transitional protection or tapered protection in your previous public service pension scheme, you may qualify as a protected member of the 2006 Scheme.
You will join the 2006 Scheme if you qualify for full transitional protection under the 2006 Scheme, or if you qualify for tapered protection under the 2006 Scheme and your tapered protection period has not expired.
In all other cases you will join the 2015 Scheme.
Transfers out
Regardless of whether or not you choose to transfer your benefits, if you qualified for full transitional protection or tapered protection in the 1987 Scheme or the 2006 Scheme, you may be eligible for protection when you join your new public service pension scheme.
Depending on the rules of the scheme you transfer to, you may receive full protection if you qualified for Full Transitional Protection in the 1987 Scheme or the 2006 Scheme and you would have qualified for full protection in your new scheme as at 1 April 2012.
Similarly, you may receive tapered protection if you would have qualified for tapered protection in your new scheme as at 1 April 2012 and your tapered protection period has not expired.