What happens if I leave employment?

When you leave your employer, or if you choose to leave the scheme while you are still employed, you will no longer pay contributions into the scheme. Your employer will let us know the date you left the scheme and send us your final contribution. We will then write to you with full details of your options.

Depending on your age and how long you were in the scheme, different options will be available to you:

Becoming a deferred member of the scheme

You can leave your benefits in the scheme and become a deferred member.

How long can I delay taking my pension?

Defined Benefit Scheme Members - your benefits can increase over time between leaving and retiring depending on your scheme and how long you were in this scheme.

Defined Contribution Scheme Members - your funds will be invested until you retire or transfer to another pension arrangement. If you want to see how your benefits might increase or how they're invested, check you member guide. 

Taking your benefits at retirement

If you are old enough, you could take a pension and/or a cash lump sum. The options that your scheme provides on retirement can be found in your member guide. 

When you sign into DB Online (if you are a member of a Defined Benefit scheme) or your Retirement Savings Account (if you are a member of a Defined Contribution scheme), you will be able to request a quote of your benefits. If you can retire, the options open to you will be included in the information we'll send to you.

Leaving because of ill health

If you are leaving employment for ill health reasons, you may be able to apply to have your benefits paid early.

What if I'm too ill to work?

You may be able to take a refund of your contributions if you were not in a salary sacrifice scheme or have less than two years’ service in the scheme (service includes any service from other memberships you have with us and any transferred service from another pension into the scheme). 

If you can have a refund of contributions, it will be included in the information we send you. 

Transferring benefits

After you leave the scheme you might want to transfer your benefits to another suitable pension provider.

Internal transfer

If you join a new employer within 30 days of leaving your previous employer and your new employer offers a scheme we administer, you might be able claim continuous service under the scheme.

Re-joining the scheme with the same employer

You can re-join the scheme with the same employer if your employer and the Pensions Committee agree. You would re-join the arrangement that your employer currently offers which can be different from the section you were in before.

Auto enrolment

When you have left a scheme that you were auto-enrolled into, your employer is required to re-enrol you. The employer will re-enrol you on anniversary of their staging date, which is every three years. If you are re-enrolled then you can opt out again.