Pension claim guidance for insolvency practitioners
Source: gov.uk (2025-06-18)

This page provides guidance on how to submit information about employee pensions to the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS).

Pension claim guidance for insolvency practitioners

This page provides guidance on how to submit information about employee pensions to the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS), part of a government agency called the Insolvency Service.

If you are an employee who has been made redundant, there’s information about pensions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/redundancy-payments-from-the-insolvency-service/explaining-your-redundancy-payment#pensions) on GOV.UK.

Both the insolvency practitioner and the pension scheme administrator need to provide details to support the pension claim.

Follow these steps first

To complete the claim, you need to:
- provide an RP14 form – if an RP14 has not already been submitted, please upload it using the CN reference number allocated to the case
- confirm there have been no employee claims against the case – confirm this in the claim submission email by writing that the case is ‘Pension Only’
- make sure the monetary values in the pension contribution form (RP15) and pensions contribution applications spreadsheet (RP15A) match
- provide additional information on arrears of pay for pension claims related to insolvency where no RP14 and RP14A information has been received
The date of insolvency cannot be included in pension claims.

Pension contribution form (RP15)

Complete the RP15 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/redundancy-payments-rp15-pension-contribution-form) to make a pension claim. The pension scheme administrator must complete and sign Part one. The insolvency practitioner must complete and sign Part 2.

If an RP16 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/redundancy-payments-form-rp16-redundancy-payments-actuarial-certificate) is provided, the insolvency practitioner will need to confirm this in the RP15 form.

Use the RP15 to tell us if there have been any prior pension claims or multiple claims made to this scheme.

The details of the payee must match the details of the pension scheme trustees held by the government’s Pension Service (https://www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details).

All information requested should be provided and not left blank.

Pension contribution applications spreadsheet (RP15A)

Complete the RP15A spreadsheet (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/redundancy-payments-spreadsheet-for-pension-contribution-applications) to tell us the names of the employees and the amounts they are owed.

You must complete this for all pension claims including those relating to a defined benefit or hybrid scheme. If you do not provide this, your pension claim will be rejected as incomplete.

We use this to check the dates for each claim, to ensure there is no overlap with any period for unpaid wages. If there is an overlap, we cannot pay employee contributions. We can pay employer contributions.

PLEASE NOTE: RP15A will only be considered if submitted in Excel format

You must complete the RP15A spreadsheet we provide. If you create your own version, we will reject it and you will be asked to complete the RP15A spreadsheet (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/redundancy-payments-spreadsheet-for-pension-contribution-applications).

To claim more than one period for the same employee, add extra lines on the spreadsheet. List the different periods being claimed for.

Cells should not be locked or protected. Monetary values should be rounded to two decimal places.

Once complete, lock the spreadsheet with a password for data protection.

Actuarial certificate (RP16)

The actuarial certificate (RP16) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/redundancy-payments-form-rp16-redundancy-payments-actuarial-certificate) must be completed if the pension claim is a defined benefit or hybrid scheme. This form must be completed by an actuary.

The RP16 must also be sent to us with the RP15 and RP15A spreadsheet. Failure to do so may lead to the pension claim being rejected.

Submitting the forms to the RPS

Email the completed RP15, the RP15A spreadsheet and if applicable, the actuarial certificate (RP16) to the RPS Pensions team (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

Use the subject line: [Employer name] [CN reference] RP15 and RP15A.

Send a separate email with the password for the RP15A spreadsheet.

Use the subject line: [Employer name] [CN reference] RP15A.

We aim to process pension claims within 12 weeks.

Payment

The RP15 form will ask for the bank details of the pension provider. It is important these details are correct so we can make a payment.