Q: My pension isn’t always credited to my account on the 1st of the month, why is this?

A: Your pension is due to be paid on the first working day of the month. As your pension is paid in advance, if the 1st falls at a weekend or on a bank holiday, it will be paid on the next working day. For example, if the 1st of October was a Saturday, your pension would not be credited until Monday 3rd. This has always been the case and is not a change in practice.

We would recommend that you bear this in mind when arranging standing orders or direct debits from the account into which your pension is paid.

Q: Will my pension be paid early before Christmas or a bank holiday?

A: No. It will always be paid on the first working day of the month.

Q: Is my pension reduced when I get my State Pension?

A: Your pension is not reduced at GMP age (60 for women/65 for men), but the way pension increases are calculated changes. More information on this is given on the ‘Guaranteed Minimum Pension’ factsheet.

Q: Why don’t I get a Payment Advice slip each month?

A: Pension Payment Advice slips are only sent to you when the net payment to your bank account changes by £1 or more. You will be sent one in April each year and also for the month of May as this is the first payment made in the new tax year. If you don’t receive one at any other time, you can assume that your payment is within £1 of the previous month.

Q: Can you send me a duplicate P60?

A: If you require the information contained in the P60 for completion of a tax return, you can also find the relevant figures on your April Pay Advice. HMRC may require you to produce your P60s, so it is important that you keep them in a safe place. Should you mislay a P60 we have sent you, we can provide the information in a letter but we cannot guarantee to provide this to you in time to meet Fiscal Year deadlines if you do not request this in good time.

Q: Why has my tax code changed?

A: We cannot tell you why because HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) does not share that information with us. Your Personal Allowances (and therefore your tax code which reflects these) are calculated by HMRC.

As the make-up of your Personal Allowances includes personal data (e.g. other sources of income, investment income etc), HMRC is not permitted to share this information with us. When your tax code changes, HMRC writes to you with a break-down of how your code has been calculated. However, they only send us your final coding without the background information. Therefore, if you wish to query your coding, you must contact HMRCdirect. For more information you can visit the HMRC website or call the taxes helpline on 0300 200 3300.

Q: How much pension will my qualifying spouse receive if I die?

A: A qualifying spouse is entitled to a pension on the death of a member, from the first day of the following month. A qualifying spouse is the legal spouse or civil partner at the date of death. The amount paid will generally not be less than 60% of your pension at Pension Age before taking any tax free cash. However the spouse’s pension on the death of a total incapacity pensioner before pension age is based on a notional pension and not your actual pension.

For further details please see the SCPF Explanatory Booklet. If you wish to receive an estimate of the pension please contact the Pensions Administration Team.