From 1 April 2023, all NHS pension scheme members have the option to Retire and return.

If you’re not ready to stop work altogether, you can retire and take your full pension, then return to work for the NHS after a break of at least 24 hours.

You can choose to work part-time or full-time – there is no limit on the hours you can work.

Your current pension payments won’t be reduced or stopped, and you can re-join the 2015 NHS Pension Scheme to build up more pension. You can re-join the 2015 scheme even if you have 45 years of service in the 1995 or 2008 pension schemes, as long as you're under age 75.

This also includes Special Class or Mental Health Officer members.

Special Class or Mental Health Officer members who take their pension, but return to work before they reach age 60, would normally be subject to abatement if their post-retirement pay plus pension exceeded their pre-retirement earnings - this rule is currently suspended until 31 March 2025.

After this date abatement will be permanently removed for Special Class Status members. By permanently removing it, this will ensure a continued staff capacity boost beyond that point as members can continue to work above their abatement ceiling.
 

If you want to go back to work for the NHS, you need to take a minimum of 24 hours’ break in service before your pension can be paid. The break starts the date your pension is payable from.

The 24 hour break in service should immediately follow your last day of NHS employment, including any unused annual leave. You can take it on any day of the week, including weekends or bank holidays.

Some members don’t need to take a 24 hour break in service. You don’t have to take a break if:

• you’re taking partial retirement
• you have more than one NHS contract and you’re being made redundant from one of your posts
• you’re an active member of the 2015 scheme and you’re only claiming preserved benefits from the 1995 or 2008 pension schemes
• you’ve reached the maximum pensionable age of 75
• your new employer isn’t part of the NHS

You can go back to work for yourself or another company after retiring from the NHS. You don’t need to tell the SPPA.

You can choose to work part-time or full-time – there is no limit on the hours you can work.

Your current pension payments won’t be reduced or stopped.

From 1 October 2023, changes to the pension scheme will make it easier for all NHS members to take partial retirement. You’ll be able to take your pension and work flexibly.

From age 55, you can take between 20% to 100% of all your pension benefits, without leaving your current job.

If you’re a member of the 1995 scheme, you can take partial retirement from age 50. From age 50 to 55, you will need to take 100% of your pension benefits.

You don’t need to take a break or change jobs to take partial retirement. You can carry on working, but you need to reduce your pensionable pay by at least 10% for the first 12 months.

GPs, non-GP providers and dental practitioners need to reduce NHS commitments by at least 10%.

You can find out more on our Partial Retirement website page.

The rules for ill-health retirement are different.

If you go back to work for the NHS while receiving an upper tier ill-health pension, you can only work for a maximum of 12 months. You need to tell SPPA that you’ve gone back to work.

If you work for the NHS for more than 12 months, your pension will be permanently reduced to the lower

If you retired with an upper tier ill-health pension, your income in any tax year is limited to the National Insurance Lower Earnings Limit set by HMRC.

You need to tell SPPA that you’ve gone back to work within 12 months of starting. This applies to income from any job or source, not just working for the NHS.

Earning more than this limit means your pension will be reduced from upper tier to lower tier. You might be able to apply to have your pension reinstated to the upper tier level before you reach your normal pension age if you:

• stop working, and
• submit additional medical evidence supporting your application