FOI-03154

Thank you for your request for information about the following: 

##Request 

<p><i>‘I’m writing to submit the below requests regarding the NHS Pension Scheme under the Freedom of Information Act.</i></p>

<p><i>Please could you support us with these (and please treat each as a separate request – compiling here for efficiency).</i></p>

<p><i>•           Please provide the average and longest waiting times for processing NHS Pension Scheme retirement benefit applications for doctors since 2020.</i></p>

<p><i>•           Please confirm how many NHSPS members are currently awaiting pension benefit calculations, retirement quotes, or rectifications? Please break this down by occupation codes</i></p>

<p><i>•           Please confirm the total number of NHSPS members, by job code, impacted by the McCloud ruling. Separately, please provide the total number of NHSPS members, by job code, currently awaiting pension recalculations as part of the McCloud process</i></p>

<p><i>•           Please can you confirm the estimated timescale for completion of recalculations for doctors’ NHS pensions?</i></p>

<p><i>•           Please provide the number of NHSPS applications for ill-health retirement, by occupation code, in each of the last 5 years, and how many were accepted or rejected.</i></p>

<p><i>•           Please provide the number of partial retirement applications in each of the last five years, by occupation code, and the average processing time per year.</i></p>

<p><i>•           Please provide the number of individuals, by occupation code, who have requested pension savings statements due to Annual Allowance breaches since 2018. Please provide the figures per year.</i></p>

<p><i>•           For each occupation code, what is the estimated total tax charged to under Annual Allowance or Lifetime Allowance rules since 2018</i></p>

<p><i>•           Per month, since 2018, how many members of the NHSPS have opted out of the NHSPS. Please provide this data by occupation code, and please also share the reasons why they are opting out’</i></p>

##[On 29 September 2025 we sent you the following clarification request] 

##Question 1  

Can you please clarify what is meant by ‘doctor’? We can identify medical staff based on having a capacity code 03, which we can split into practitioners and non-practitioners, can you please confirm if this would be acceptable for your request?  

Can you please confirm the unit of measurement for waiting times? Is this calendar days?  

Can you please confirm by ‘benefit applications’ you are referring to award applications?  

##Question 2  

Can you please clarify what is meant by ‘awaiting pension benefit calculations, retirement quotes, or rectifications’?  

##Question 3  

We do hold the number of McCloud members impacted by job code in an easily accessible format. We can provide the total and outstanding figures, can you please confirm if this would be acceptable for your request?  

##Question 4  

There are public deadlines for rectification of McCloud; there aren’t any specific deadlines for ‘doctors’. Can you please confirm if you would like us to provide the public deadlines for all McCloud members?  

##Question 5  

We do not hold easily accessible data relating to ill health retirements broken down by occupation code. We can provide the total number of ill health retirements, can you please confirm if this would be acceptable for your request?  

##Question 6  

We do not hold easily accessible data relating to partial retirement applications broken down by occupation code. We can provide the total number of partial retirements, can you please confirm if this would be acceptable for your request? Can you please confirm if average processing should be from the date of the application to the completed and issued for payment date, and measured in calendar days?  

##Question 7  

We do not hold data for individuals who have requested pension savings statements by occupation code in an easily accessible format.  

##Question 8  

Can you please clarify this question? ‘For each occupation code, what is the estimated total tax charged to under Annual Allowance or Lifetime Allowance rules since 2018’ 

##[On 6 October 2025 you clarified your request as follows] 

##<p><i>‘Question 1</i></p>

<p><i>Yes please</i></p>

<p><i>Yes please</i></p>

<p><i>We are referring to retirement applications (form AW8 / AW8P or AW8PC). Ideally, we’d please have the data provided for each of these.</i></p>

##<p><i>Question 2</i></p>

<p><i>Please could I refine this question to: “Please confirm the total number of NHSPS members affected by McCloud who are still waiting for a choice letter, as referred to https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/public-service-pensions-remedy-mccloud/making-your-decision-about-your-nhs-pension-benefits/understanding-your-choice-after-retirement.”</i></p>

##<p><i>Question 3</i></p>

<p><i>Yes please</i></p>

##<p><i>Question 4</i></p>

<p><i>Yes, please provide the public deadlines for all NHSPS members affected by McCloud.</i></p>

##<p><i>Question 5</i></p>

<p><i>Yes please</i></p>

##<p><i>Question 6</i></p>

<p><i>Yes please to all.</i></p>

##<p><i>Question 8</i></p>

<p><i>Please provide the total tax charges incurred by NHSPS members due to breaching the Annual Allowance since 2018. Please provide this per calendar year, and please break it down by occupation code.’</i></p>

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 4 September 2025.  

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). 

##Our response 

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested. Please read the below notes to ensure correct understanding of the data. 

##Question 1 

A copy of the data is attached. 

Please note that the attached data is not an indication of performance. Data is in respect of retirement form being submitted to being paid, for example, further information may also be required. Please also see the below link for current processing times: 

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/current-processing-times-nhs-pensions 

This data reflects the volume of award applications processed since 1 January 2020. The average elapsed calendar days and maximum elapsed calendar days between the date we were initially notified, and the completion date of the award is provided, split between officer and practitioner. 

##Question 2 

296,616 immediate choice members are awaiting a Remedial Service Statement (RSS). 

This refers to immediate choice McCloud members and does not include all active and deferred members who will be impacted by McCloud when they come to retire. 

##Question 3 

There are 1,100,745 members impacted by the McCloud ruling, including retired, active, deferred and deceased members.  

Of the 303,225 immediate choice members requiring a recalculation, 300,062 are currently awaiting a recalculation. 

##Question 4 

Regrettably, due to the complexity of the work, we have not been able to meet the revised deadlines for issuing RSS set by the government on 31 March 2025.  

The challenges of delivering the McCloud remedy are not unique to NHS Pensions, with all public sector schemes affected, and all reporting significant risks to achieving the timescales that have been set for them. We are working closely with DHSC and The Pensions Regulator to agree updated and realistically achievable timelines. The RSS timetable will be updated on our website. 

##Question 5 

A copy of the data is attached. 

Only successful ill health retirements are provided. Any rejected applications are not reportable from the database. 

##Question 6 

A copy of the data is attached. 

##Question 7 

As per our clarification request, we do not hold data for individuals who have requested pension savings statements by occupation code. 

##Question 8 

I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHSBSA. 

The NHSBSA does not know if a member has incurred a tax charge. We would only know if a member has incurred a tax charge if they make a request via Scheme Pays, for us to pay a charge. 

##Question 9 

Under Section 21 of the FOIA, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you. 

Opt-out data is published at the following link which is updated monthly and includes break downs by reason and occupation. 

The information you requested is available from the link below for 2025 only: 

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/information-about-nhs-pensions/nhs-pensions-opt-out-data  

Please see the following link to view the section 21 in full - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/21 

FOI-01986 holds historic ESR opt out information, broken down by month and reason for opt-out. 

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-01986 

##Data Queries 

Please contact <a href=mailto:foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk>foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk</a> ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data. 

##Reusing the data and copyright 

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact <a href=mailto:communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk>communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk</a>. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented. 

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at: 

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/  

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2025”. Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence. 

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information. 

Tags: NHS Pensions
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log