The Public Service (Civil Servants and Others) Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2023

Statutory Instruments

2023 No. 180

Public Service Pensions

The Public Service (Civil Servants and Others) Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2023

Made

at 10.58 a.m. on 21st February 2023

Laid before Parliament

at 3.00 p.m. on 21st February 2023

Coming into force

1st April 2023

The Minister for the Civil Service makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2(1) and paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 and sections 3(1) and (2)(a) and paragraph 9 of Schedule 3 to the Public Service Pensions Act 2013(1).

In accordance with section 22(2)(a) of that Act, the Minister has consulted representatives of such persons as appears to the Minister likely to be affected by these Regulations with a view to reaching agreement.

In accordance with section 22(2)(b) of that Act, the Minister has laid a report before Parliament.

In accordance with section 3(5) of that Act, these Regulations are made with the consent of the Treasury.

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Public Service (Civil Servants and Others) Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2023.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 1st April 2023.

Amendment of the Public Service (Civil Servants and Others) Pensions Regulations 2014

2.—(1) The Public Service (Civil Servants and Others) Pensions Regulations 2014(2) are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 134 (rate of member contributions)—

(a) in paragraph (8), after the table headed “Scheme Year 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022 and 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023” insert the following table—

“Scheme Year 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 and subsequently

Annualised rate of pensionable earnings	Member contributions rate
Up to but not including £32,001	4.6%
£32,001 to but not including £56,001	5.45%
£56,001 to but not including £150,001	7.35%
£150,001 and above	8.05%”;

(b) after paragraph (8) insert—

“(9) The figures in the column headed “Annualised rate of pensionable earnings” of the table headed “Scheme Year 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 and subsequently” (except for the figures of £56,001 and £150,001) are to be increased on 1st April 2024, 1st April 2025 and 1st April 2026 if there is a relevant increase in the consumer prices index or, should the Minister decide, any other index of the general level of prices in the United Kingdom, by the appropriate percentage for the scheme year rounded up to the nearest £100.

(10) The figures in the column headed “Annualised rate of pensionable earnings” of the table headed “Scheme Year 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 and subsequently” (except for the figure of £150,001) are to be increased on 1st April 2027 and on 1st April of each subsequent scheme year, if there is a relevant increase in the consumer prices index or, should the Minister decide, any other index of the general level of prices in the United Kingdom, by the appropriate percentage for the scheme year rounded up to the nearest £100.

(11) For the purposes of paragraphs (9) and (10), where there is a relevant increase after 1st April 2024, the figures to be increased on the relevant date are the figures applicable to the previous scheme year.

(12) There is a relevant increase in the consumer prices index or any index of the general level of prices in the United Kingdom for a scheme year if that index for the month of September before that scheme year is higher than that for the previous September.

(13) The appropriate percentage for the scheme year is the same percentage as any percentage increase in the consumer prices index or any other index decided by the Minister over the period specified by paragraph (12).

(14) For the purposes of paragraphs (9), (10), (12) and (13), “consumer prices index” means the general index of consumer prices (for all items) published by the Statistics Board(3).”.

Alex Burghart

Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office

20th February 2023

We consent to the making of these Regulations

Amanda Solloway

Steve Double

Two of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury

At 10.58 a.m. on 21st February 2023

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The Public Service (Civil Servants and Others) Pensions Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/1964) established the new Civil Service pension scheme, also known as alpha, and made provision for the contributions payable by members of that scheme up to 31st March 2023.

Regulation 2 provides for the member contribution rates for the scheme year ending on 31st March 2023 to also apply to the scheme year beginning 1st April 2023 and subsequently, as against revised annualised rate of pensionable earnings bands.

Regulation 2 also provides for the revised annualised rate of pensionable earnings bands to be uprated on the first day of each scheme year by reference to the consumer prices index (or any other UK price index the Minister may choose), beginning on 1st April 2024 for the salary band £0-£32,000 and beginning on 1st April 2027 for salary band £32,001-£56,000.

Since these Regulations involve a change to a protected element of the scheme, the Minister for the Civil Service has consulted representatives of those likely to be affected by the change with a view to reaching agreement and has laid a report before Parliament.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

(1)

2013 c. 25.

(2)

S.I. 2014/1964; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2019/520, S.I. 2020/224, S.I. 2021/240 and S.I. 2022/330.

(3)

The Statistics Board is established under section 1 of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (c. 18)