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Special Classes
Certain groups of staff who were members of the scheme before 1 April 1995 are known as the special classes.
They are: nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and health visitors.
Female members of the special classes are entitled to retire with benefits from age 55, if their last 5 years’ service is in one of these jobs.
Men in any of these jobs can retire from age 55 if their last 5 years’ service is in one of these jobs, but their benefits will only be based on their service from 17 May 1990. Benefits for service before that date will not be paid until age 60 unless they choose to retire early.
Mental Health Officers (MHOs)
A Mental Health Officer is a person who is:
- working full time on the medical or nursing staff of a hospital used for the treatment of patients suffering from mental disorder; or
- a maximum part-time specialist who is employed for the whole or almost the whole of their time in the direct treatment or care of patients suffering from mental disorder.
An MHO With 20 years’ MHO service may:
- retire with benefits from age 55 *(subject to any service restrictions as mentioned below); and
- count each year of MHO service over 20 years as 2 years for benefit purposes.
*The maximum contributing service (including non-contributing service reckonable at half its actual length) which a mental health officer may reckon up to age 55 is 40 years (40 years = maximum calendar length membership before attaining age 55).
If this amount of service is completed before the attainment of age 55 then no account will be taken of the service between the completion of the 40 years service and the day before the officer’s 55th birthday - although contributions continue to be paid during this period.
Service reckons once again from the officers 55th birthday and continues to reckon until the officer completes 45 years contributing service - i.e. the maximum contributing service which may be earned under the National Health Service Superannuation (S) Scheme. If 45 years service is completed before age 60 then service to age 60 does not reckon – although contributions continue to be paid up to and including the 60th birthday.
On completion of the maximum contributing service or on attaining age 60 (provided 45 years have been completed), whichever is later, both the employer’s and employee’s share of the contributions cease to be payable, although benefits will not become payable until the person ceases NHS employment.
Part-timers – service restriction for part time staff remain as per whole time staff. Calendar length is used to calculate membership in the Scheme. For example a MHO joins the Scheme at age 22 and works ½ the conditioned hours to age 42 where his service starts to double. From age 42 – 52 he accrues 10 years (5 years actual service at ½hrs) more membership accruing 10 doubled years (5 years actual doubled service at ½ hrs). At age 52 the member has 40 years calendar length membership in the Scheme, however it will accrue at 20 years in actual terms. Although he can not start to accrue service again in the Scheme until his 55 birthday, he must remain in the Scheme as a contributing member
Qualifying conditions
These special rights only apply to scheme members who:
- were in any of these jobs before 1 April 1995 and have not had a break of more than 5 years in any pensionable NHS employment; and
- satisfy the special class or MHO conditions.
Special class status will not apply to anyone who starts working in one of those jobs for the first time on or after 1 April 1995.