Our website has lots of information that might help you find an answer to your question. Here is information on some of the most common questions from our members.
1. Annual Benefit Statements 2022
We will be issuing this year's Annual Benefit Statements from 31 August 2022. You will receive a message on the Online Portal when your Annual Benefit Statement is ready for you to view.
2. Pension estimates and Calculators
We will be issuing this year's Annual Benefit Statements from 31 August 2022. You will receive a message on the Online Portal when your Annual Benefit Statement is ready for you to view.
If you're in active employment, you can register for our online service where you can access your annual benefit statement.
Your annual benefit statement estimates your pension benefits accrued up to the end of the most recent financial year based on your pensionable service and / or salary details as confirmed by your employer.
Calculators
As well as annual benefit statements we have a range of calculators that can be used by members still in active employment. These can be used to estimate to future dates and scenarios of your choice.
If you have left the scheme and are no longer contributing to your pension and are close to your scheme pension age, please contact us to find out more.
3. Opting in or out of a pension scheme or requesting a refund
Opting Out
If you submit an Opt Out application and indicate that you wish to receive a refund of your contributions, you have to meet the following criteria:
- under 2 years' calendar service after 6 April 1988;or
- under 5 years' calendar service before 5th April 1988; and
- you have not transferred previous pension rights into the scheme from a personal pension arrangement
If you do not meet this criteria, your refund application may be rejected.
Refund
If you have requested a refund application and have not had a reply, It can take up to four months from when your application is received to calculate your refund. We will contact your employer for information and we may also have to contact the National Insurance Contributions Office for a Contributions Equivalent Premium (CEP) figure. We are unable to process any refund until we have all this information.
4. Retiring soon and not heard from us yet
If you have already applied for your pension and have not received a letter or email from us, please be aware you may not receive your pension details until immediately prior to your retirement date, or in some cases, if your retirement date is early in the month, a little after this date. Even if you haven’t had your paperwork, your pension payment will be made from your retirement date.
To submit your enquiry, please select from the options below:
NHS Enquiry
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Teachers Enquiry
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Police Enquiry
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Firefighter Enquiry
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Local Government Enquiry
Scottish Legal Aid Board Enquiry
Freedom of Information Request
Media Enquiry
Other Contact Options
Phone us
We are currently experiencing high volumes of enquiries. To help us prioritise members who need urgent support, we would appreciate if you could send us an email instead detailing your enquiry.
Our telephone number: 01896 893000
Phone lines opening hours:
• Monday: 9am to 5pm
• Tuesday: 9am to 5pm
• Wednesday: 9am to 1pm*
• Thursday: 9am to 5pm
• Friday: 9am to 4.30pm * Please note: to concentrate on staff training and development, our phone lines are only available on Wednesday’s until 1pm.
Our postal address
Scottish Public Pensions Agency, 7 Tweedside Park, Tweedbank, Galashiels, TD1 3TE