The National Health Service Pension Scheme Regulations 2008

“3.B.2    [F1 Restrictions on eligibility: general E+W

[F2 (A1) A person is not eligible to be an active member of this Section of the Scheme in respect of practitioner service after 31st March 2022.

(A2) Paragraphs (1) to (7) of this regulation apply in respect of practitioner service before 1st April 2022.]

[F3 (A3) Nothing in paragraphs (1A) and (1C) to (1L) of this regulation prevents a member’s remediable service within the meaning of section 1 of the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 being treated as pensionable service under this Section of the Scheme in accordance with section 2 of that Act (remediable service treated as pensionable under Chapter 1 legacy schemes).]

[F4 (1) A person is not eligible to be an active member of this Section of the Scheme if the person—

(a) became a pensioner member of the 1995 Section or a corresponding 1995 scheme on, or before, 1st April 2008 (except if paragraph (1)(b)(i) of regulation 3.B.1A applies to that person), or

(b) became a pensioner member of the 1995 Section or a corresponding 1995 scheme on, or after, that date (except if paragraph (1)(b)(i) or (ii) of regulation 3.B.1A applies to that person [F5 or that person became an active member of this Section of the Scheme before reaching normal benefit age for the purposes of the 1995 Section]), F6 ...

F7 (c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]

[F8 (1A) A person who was born on, or after, 1st September 1960 is not eligible to be an active member of this Section of the Scheme in respect of practitioner service on, or after, 1st April 2015.

(1B) A person is not eligible to be an active member of this Section of the Scheme if that person has had a break in service ending on or after 2nd April 2012, and any of the following apply—

(a) that break in service is for any one period of five years or more;

(b) that person receives a repayment of contributions under regulation 3.C.16 in respect of their service before that break (see regulation 3.B.1(3)(a));

(c) that person becomes entitled to a repayment of contributions under regulation 3.C.16 by virtue of paragraph (2)(a) to (c) of that regulation in respect of their service before that break;

(d) that person’s rights under this Section of the Scheme in respect of their service before that break have been extinguished under regulation 3.F.7 because a transfer value payment is made in respect of them.

(1C) A person who on 1st April 2012 has attained the age of 55 may not contribute or accrue further pensionable service under this Section of the Scheme unless that person either—

(a) is, on 1st April 2015, an active member of this Section of the Scheme in accordance with regulation 3.B.1; or

(b) returns to NHS employment on or after 2nd April 2015 in circumstances where paragraph (1B)(a) does not apply.

(1D) Paragraph (1E) applies to a person—

(a) who, on 1st April 2012, has attained the age of 51 years and 7 months but has not attained the age of 55, and

(b) whose eligibility cessation date has not been reached (see paragraph (1F)).

(1E) A person referred to in paragraph (1D) may not contribute or accrue further pensionable service under this Section of the Scheme unless that person either—

(a) is, on 1st April 2015, an active member of this Section of the Scheme in accordance with regulation 3.B.1; or

(b) returns to NHS employment on or after 2nd April 2015 in circumstances where paragraph (1B)(a) does not apply.

(1F) For the purposes of paragraph (1D), a person’s eligibility cessation date is to be determined according to the formula—

where—

• A is 1st April 2022

• T is the number of months (rounded up to the nearest whole month) by which the person’s age on 1st April 2012 is less than 55.

(1G) For the purposes of paragraphs (1C)(b) and (1E)(b), any break in service where the member was in pensionable service in an existing scheme (within the meaning of Schedule 5 to the 2013 Act) is to be disregarded.

(1H) Paragraph (1I) applies to a person who in the opinion of the Secretary of State—

(a) was previously an active member of a corresponding 2008 scheme;

(b) the regulations governing that corresponding scheme include provisions pursuant to subsection (5) of section 18 of the 2013 Act [F9 or subsection (5) of section 18 of the 2014 Act] that provide for exceptions to subsection (1) of [F10 those sections], and

(c) pursuant to those provisions, the member would have been eligible to re-join that corresponding scheme if the member had returned to NHS employment for the purposes of that scheme on the day the member commenced NHS employment within the meaning of these Regulations.

(1I) The Secretary of State may permit a person referred to in paragraph (1H) to join this Section of the Scheme and, for the purposes of paragraphs (1C) to (1G), the member’s previous pensionable employment under the corresponding scheme referred to in paragraph (1H) will be treated as if it were previous pensionable employment under this Section of the Scheme.

(1J) Paragraph (1K) applies to a person who, in the opinion of the Secretary of State—

(a) was previously an active member in respect of service in an existing scheme (within the meaning of Schedule 5 to the 2013 Act [F11 or Schedule 5 to the 2014 Act]),

(b) is not receiving a pension in respect of that service on the relevant day,

(c) the regulations of that existing scheme include provisions pursuant to subsection (5) of section 18 of the 2013 Act [F12 or subsection (5) of section 18 of the 2014 Act] that provide for exceptions to subsection (1) of [F13 those sections],

(d) pursuant to those provisions, the person would have been eligible to be an active member of the existing scheme if the member had returned to employment for the purposes of that scheme on the relevant day, and

(e) the member would, if the member’s previous service in the existing scheme had been previous service under this Section of the Scheme, have been eligible for active membership of this Section of the Scheme on the relevant day pursuant to paragraphs (1A) to (1G).

(1K) The Secretary of State may permit a person referred to in paragraph (1J) to join this section of the scheme and, for the purposes of paragraphs (1C) to (1G), the member’s previous service as an active member under the existing scheme referred to in paragraph (1J) will be treated as if it were previous service as an active member of this section of the scheme.

(1L) For the purposes of paragraphs (1J) and (1K) “the relevant day” is the day the member commences NHS employment for the purposes of these Regulations.

(1M) A person referred to in paragraph (1C), (1E), (1I) or (1K) may elect, using a form provided by the Secretary of State, not to make contributions or accrue further service under this Section of the Scheme in accordance with whichever of those paragraphs apply, but instead (where eligible) to become an active member of the 2015 Scheme.

(1N) Such an election—

(a) is irrevocable;

(b) must be given to the Secretary of State before the date specified by the Secretary of State in the election form;

(c) is to be treated as having been given on the date the election form is received by the Secretary of State.

(1O) The date referred to in (1N)(b) must be a date that is at least three months later than the date on which the Secretary of State provided the member with an election form.

(1P) An election shall be effective from the first day of the member’s pensionable employment in the 2008 Section falling on, or after, 1st April 2015, and from that date—

(a) that member is to be treated as if that member had been an active member of the 2015 Scheme, and

(b) contributions made in respect of the member in the 2008 Section shall be treated as if they had been contributions made in respect of that member in the 2015 Scheme.

(1Q) The Secretary of State may allow a member to exercise an election after the date specified under paragraph (1N)(b) where the Secretary of State considers that the member has not had a reasonable opportunity to consider whether to exercise an election before that date.]

(2) A person is not eligible to be an active member of [F14 this Section of] the Scheme in respect of service in an employment if the person is an active member of a superannuation scheme established under section 1 or 9 of the Superannuation Act 1972 in respect of service in that employment.

(3) A person who holds an honorary appointment and does not at the same time hold any other employment which entitles him to be a member of [F14 this Section of] the Scheme is not eligible to be an active member of [F14 this Section of] the Scheme.

(4) A person is not eligible to be an active member of [F14 this Section of] the Scheme in any further employment if the person—

(a) becomes entitled to a tier 2 pension under regulation 3.D.7, and

(b) opts to exchange that pension for a lump sum in accordance with regulation 3.D.11.

(5) A person who is entitled to the immediate payment of a pension under [F14 this Section of] the Scheme under a regulation that requires the person not to be in NHS employment may only be an active member in accordance with—

(a) regulation 3.D.5 (partial retirement),

(b) regulation 3.G.4 (effect of re-employment on tier 2 ill-health pensions),or

(c) Chapter 3.G.

[F15 (6) A person is not eligible to be an active member of [F14 this Section of] the Scheme in any future employment if the person—

(a) ceases to be entitled to a tier 1 ill-health pension under regulation 3.D.7, and

(b) becomes entitled to a tier 2 ill-health pension under that regulation on the date the Secretary of State makes a determination under regulation 3.D.8(3).

This is subject to paragraph (7).

(7) A person to whom paragraph (6) applies is eligible to be an active member of [F14 this Section of] the Scheme in any further employment after the first anniversary of that person’s first day of such employment following the date of the Secretary of State’s determination under regulation 3.D.8.]]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Regulations substituted (6.11.2023) by The Health and Care Act 2022 (Further Consequential Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1071), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 1

F2 Reg. 3.B.2(A1)(A2) inserted (1.4.2022) by The National Health Service Pension Schemes (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/327), regs. 1(2), 3(3)

F3 Reg. 3.B.2(A3) inserted (1.10.2023) by The National Health Service Pension Schemes (Remediable Service) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/985), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 2(3)

F4 Reg. 3.B.2(1) substituted (1.4.2010) by The National Health Service Pension Scheme, Injury Benefits and Additional Voluntary Contributions (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/492), regs. 1(2), 40

F5 Words in reg. 3.B.2(1)(b) inserted (with effect from 1.10.2008) by The National Health Service Pension Scheme, Injury Benefits and Additional Voluntary Contributions (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/96), regs. 1(2)(6), 40

F6 Word in reg. 3.B.2(1)(b) omitted (1.4.2015) by virtue of The National Health Service Pension Scheme, Injury Benefits and Additional Voluntary Contributions (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/245), regs. 1(8), 44(a) (with reg. 105)

F7 Reg. 3.B.2(1)(c) omitted (1.4.2015) by virtue of The National Health Service Pension Scheme, Injury Benefits and Additional Voluntary Contributions (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/245), regs. 1(8), 44(b) (with reg. 105)

F8 Reg. 3.B.2(1A)-(1Q) inserted (1.4.2015) by The National Health Service Pension Scheme (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/95), reg. 1(b), Sch. 2 para. 17(2)

F9 Words in reg. 3.B.2(1H) inserted (1.4.2017) by The National Health Service Pension Scheme and Additional Voluntary Contributions (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/275), regs. 1(2)(c), 24(2)(a)

F10 Words in reg. 3.B.2(1H) substituted (1.4.2017) by The National Health Service Pension Scheme and Additional Voluntary Contributions (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/275), regs. 1(2)(c), 24(2)(b)

F11 Words in reg. 3.B.2(1J)(a) inserted (1.4.2017) by The National Health Service Pension Scheme and Additional Voluntary Contributions (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/275), regs. 1(2)(c), 24(3)(a)

F12 Words in reg. 3.B.2(1J)(c) inserted (1.4.2017) by The National Health Service Pension Scheme and Additional Voluntary Contributions (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/275), regs. 1(2)(c), 24(3)(b)(i)

F13 Words in reg. 3.B.2(1J)(c) substituted (1.4.2017) by The National Health Service Pension Scheme and Additional Voluntary Contributions (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/275), regs. 1(2)(c), 24(3)(b)(ii)

F14 Words in reg. 3.B.2 inserted (1.10.2009) by The National Health Service Pension Scheme, Injury Benefits and Additional Voluntary Contributions (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2446), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 1

F15 Reg. 3.B.2(6)(7) added (1.4.2009) by The National Health Service Pension Scheme and Injury Benefits (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/381), regs. 1(2), 54 (with reg. 89)