If your potential United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority scheme service to retirement age totals less than 40 years and there is at least one year between the date of your next birthday and your retirement age you may be eligible to buy whole years or parts of a year of additional reckonable service to count towards an increased pension and lump sum and family benefits. Both full-time and part-time members can apply to purchase added years. The following members cannot apply to buy added years:
You pay the full cost of the added years, in other words there is no employer contribution. The cost of the added years is based on your age next birthday following the date of your application. The usual method of payment is by periodical deduction of a fixed percentage of your pensionable pay commencing from your next birthday and normally continuing to age 60. (If you make an application within 12 months of joining the scheme, you may alternatively buy added years by lump sum payment.) The current cost of buying one added year by periodical deduction for a member with a 60 retirement age is as follows:
| Age next birthday at date application is approved | Total Contribution % for Combined Pension Scheme members |
|---|---|
| 21 | 0.43 |
| 22 | 0.45 |
| 23 | 0.46 |
| 24 | 0.48 |
| 25 | 0.50 |
| 26 | 0.52 |
| 27 | 0.54 |
| 28 | 0.56 |
| 29 | 0.58 |
| 30 | 0.61 |
| 31 | 0.64 |
| 32 | 0.67 |
| 33 | 0.70 |
| 34 | 0.74 |
| 35 | 0.78 |
| 36 | 0.82 |
| 37 | 0.87 |
| 38 | 0.91 |
| 39 | 0.97 |
| 40 | 1.03 |
| 41 | 1.09 |
| 42 | 1.17 |
| 43 | 1.25 |
| 44 | 1.34 |
| 45 | 1.44 |
| 46 | 1.56 |
| 47 | 1.70 |
| 48 | 1.86 |
| 49 | 2.05 |
| 50 | 2.28 |
| 51 | 2.55 |
| 52 | 2.90 |
| 53 | 3.35 |
| 54 | 3.94 |
| 55 | 4.78 |
| 56 | 6.02 |
| 57 | 8.11 |
| 58 | 12.27 |
| 59 | 24.75 |
If, for historical reasons you have a retirement age other than 60, or if you are a member of the Principal Non-Industrial Superannuation Scheme, you should contact the Pensions Administration Office, Thurso for details of the costs of buying added years.
Your reckonable service in the scheme will be increased as you pay for the added years. Your pension and lump sum as well as widow’s or widower’s benefits will include the additional service you have purchased. For members who have paid in full for added years by making a lump sum payment within 12 months of starting employment as a member of a United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority pension scheme, your reckonable and qualifying service will be increased by the full amount of added years. If you have been paying by periodical deductions and you die before retirement age, or leave with a scheme pension because of ill health, your service will also be increased by the full amount of the added years for which you applied. This does not apply to added years contracts which began prior to 1985. Otherwise if you leave before retirement age, your service will be increased by the added years purchased up to the date of leaving.
According to the date when you joined the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority pension scheme you are covered by specific tax regimes which affect the level of benefits you are permitted to receive under HM Revenue and Customs regulations. Therefore depending on when you joined the scheme there are different limits for the maximum number of added years which can be purchased.
There are a number of conditions and time limits which apply to the purchase of added years. The most significant of these are as follows:
Separate arrangements exist for members to buy added years by making a lump sum payment from the compensation payments due on early retirement provided they:
If you are interested in buying added years, the Pensions Administration Office can provide you with further information and a form on which an application can be made. If you are already purchasing added years but would like to make an application to purchase more years, each subsequent application will be considered separately and be subject to the conditions and rates of contribution in force at the time of the subsequent application.
Applications to buy added years by periodical contributions may be cancelled, by giving notice in writing to the Pensions Administration Office Thurso. However, you may not cancel an added years contract on more than two occasions. Your reckonable service will be increased by the added years for which you have paid up to the date the contributions cease and calculated as a proportion of the number of years over which contributions were due to be paid.
© UKAEA Pensions 2009. Disclaimer