I'm receiving a pension

*Norfolk pensioners are paid on 1 of each month in advance. 

We’ll start paying your monthly pension from the first available pay date after you retire, or the first available date after we get your claim form if that’s later. 

If you return your pension claim form before you finish work and you’re due a tax-free lump sum, we aim to pay your lump sum three working days after your last day at work, though the payment can take a few days to clear at your bank or building society.

If you return the form after you finish work, we aim to pay your lump sum within three working days of getting your form.

If you’re due any pension arrears, we’ll include them with your first monthly payment.

The increase to pensions is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on 30 September in the previous year. In 2024 this was 6.7%.

The government’s Pensions Increase (Review) order tells public-sector pension schemes how much we should increase pensions by.

The increase is due from 8 April 2024 and you'll normally get the increase if:

• you are over 55
• you retired because of ill health, or
• you get a spouse's, partner's or child's pension.

How do we work out the increase?

If you get the increase, your April pension advice will show your new pension amounts for April and May. We adjust your April pension for the 9 days we pay your April pension at the old rate.

Example

We've based our example on a pension of £200 per month. With the full increase, the new monthly pension will be £213.40 per month. So the March, April and May pensions in this example will be as follows. We've shown here in detail how we work out the April pension.

If you retired part way through 2023/4 you won’t get the full increase straightaway. You’ll start to get the full increase from 2025.

Retirement lump sums are usually completely tax-free, but most people pay tax on their monthly pension.

Your pension will be taxed on the emergency single person tax code until your local tax office tells us the correct rate to use.

Already being paid a Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP)?

If you have been getting only a Guaranteed Minimum Pension and are now claiming the rest of your pension benefits there will be no change to your tax code.

Your tax office

Your tax office might need to write to you about your income before deciding the correct rate. We can't refund tax, or make any other adjustments, until your tax office confirms the rate we should use. So if you're expecting a refund it may take a little while.

If you want to know more about the tax you will pay, please contact your tax office directly.

The address of the tax office that will deal with your tax affairs is

Pay As You Earn
HM Revenue and Customs
BX9 1AS

Phone 0300 200 3300

Textphone for hearing impaired people 0845 302 1408

If you're calling from abroad phone +44 135 535 9022

Quote your reference whenever you contact the tax office. You can see this on your payslip and P60. You can get information about tax from your local tax office or from the HM Revenue & Customs website on www.hmrc.gov.uk

If you think you underpaid tax because HMRC (the tax office) made a mistake, you can ask them to consider writing off some or all of the tax you underpaid.

Reasons HMRC might write-off underpaid tax

• You checked your tax code when it was issued and had no reason to think it was wrong, and
• HMRC must have delayed using available information (HMRC defines a delay as being more than 12 months from the end of the tax year when it should have discovered the error.) You will get a P60 around May each tax year. We also give HMRC details of the amount of taxable pension you were paid, the amount of tax deducted and the tax code operated against your pension at each tax year end. We will have issued this information from the tax year when you first started getting your pension.

Look at the following websites for further help.

HM Revenue & Customs > delays in using information
www.hmrc.gov.uk

Tax aid
taxaid.org.uk

It's important you keep your contact details and personal information current and up to date. 

Home address - you can call, write or email us with your new details. 

Email and phone number - log in or register for our online services where you can update these details securely and hassle free. If you've chosen not to use our online services you can call, write or email us with your new details.

Your pension slip tells you how much we will pay into your bank account and how much tax (if any) has been taken. It also lists any other deductions.

Your payslip is available to see in your online pension account. We won't post it to you unless you've opted out of electronic communications, and then only in March, April and May unless it changes by a certain amount (usually between £5 and £10).  

In April and May each year we produce a P60 form showing the total pension you received, and the tax you paid, in the previous year.

You can download this from My Pension as we won’t send you a paper copy unless you have opted out of electronic communications.

There’s nothing to worry about if you get one of these in the post, but we do need you to fill it in and send it back to us as soon as you can.

We send life certificates because we have a ‘duty of care’ to protect our members’ money and guard against fraud.

Besides checking that you’re alive and well, and still getting the right amount of pension, the life certificate form also gives you the chance to tell us about other things that could affect the pension you get, for instance

• you get another job, or
• you're getting a dependent's pension but remarry, form a civil partnership, or start to live with someone as your husband, wife or civil partner.

We also need to know if

• you become too ill to understand or handle your own affairs, or
• you move house and forget to tell us.

Are life certificates a scam?
No, definitely not. We issue these forms to all our pensioners, at least once every 7 years.

Why do I have to fill this in?
We have a 'duty of care' to protect your money and maintain the pension fund. As part of this care we issue life certificates. They help us prevent fraud on your pension, identify and help people who have become unable to understand their own affairs and they also remind you to tell us about the things that can affect your pension.

Example are when life certificates have identified when pensioners have died and their relatives didn't tell us, instead fraudulently stealing their pension. We've uncovered cases and helped incapacitated pensioners who have been subject to financial abuse by family members and friends. And we have discovered cases where pensions should have been reduced/stopped but the recipients of the pension didn't tell us about a change in their circumstances.

Why do I need a witness?
Because most pension fraud is committed by family members, part of the process of completing the life certificate is getting an independent witness to sign the form who doesn't live with you and isn't related to you. It can be a friend, neighbour or an old colleague.

Life Certificates explained (for witnesses)

French (pdf)
Spanish (pdf)
Polish (pdf)

If you can't find a suitable witness you can call in at our Bradford or Lincoln offices with photo identification.(e.g. passport, driving licence etc). If you live overseas we can arrange alternatives.

Do I have to fill this in?
Yes. Our auditors say this is best practice and it's common among pension providers to send them. Pus, most pensioners only complete one every seven years so it's not a great inconvenience.

What happens if I don't fill in the life certificate?
We'll send one reminder life certificate. If you don't return it we'll write to tell you that your pension will be suspended from a certain date. This is a last resort and we give you plenty of time to reply. Life certificates are really nothing to worry about. 

Why have I received multiple life certificate forms?
You get one for each pension record you have with us (even if you one payment covers all of your pension records). Please return any with a YELLOW note on the front. If none of them have a YELLOW note, you only need to get one of these fully completed, BUT PLEASE SEND ALL THE LIFE CERTIFICATES BACK.

Why is my member number different?
You may notice that the reference number on the life certificate is different to the number on your payslip or P60. This is nothing to worry about it’s just that we hold two different reference numbers for you - one for administration and one for payroll.

Is the return address correct? It doesn’t look real.
Yes, the address of Freepost WYPF is correct. You don't need to write anything else on the envelope. We arranged this short, unique address with Royal Mail, just for the return of life certificates and you don't need a stamp.

What if I become physically or mentally incapable of looking after my own affairs, or if a relative with a WYPF pension becomes incapable of looking after their own affairs?
If you’re concerned about this please contact us so we can help you decide what to do next.

• accountant
• assurance agent of recognised company
• bank/building society official
• barrister
• chairman/director of limited company
• chiropodist
• commissioner for oaths
• councillor, e.g. local or county
• dentist
• doctor
• engineer - with professional qualifications
• financial services intermediary, e.g. a stockbroker or insurance broker
• fire service official
• Justice of the Peace
• legal secretary - fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs
• local government officer
• member, associate or fellow of a professional body
• Member of Parliament
• minister of a recognised religion
• nurse - RGN or RMN
• optician
• pharmacist
• police officer
• Post Office official
• president/secretary of a recognised organisation
• social worker
• solicitor
• teacher, lecturer
• trade union officer
• fellow WYPF pensioner (but not a relative)

Once you are getting a pension, there might be other state benefits you can claim. You should refer to the Government's Help for Households website or contact the Department for Work and Pensions if you think you might be entitled to other benefits. For contact details, look in your local Phone Book under Jobcentre Plus.

You can also get leaflets on-line at www.gov.uk or from your local Department for Work and Pensions office.

If you are thinking about claiming a state benefit, the sooner you act the better. In most cases benefits can only be paid from the date of your claim and are rarely backdated.

If you are retiring before you are entitled to a State Pension, and so you are no longer paying National Insurance contributions, your State Pension could be affected.

If you think your National Insurance record might not be up to date, you can request a state pension forecast online or ask your local Benefits Agency office for a Pension Forecast form.

More about the basic state pension

If contributed to the FPS between April 1978 and March 1997 you built up something called a guaranteed minimum pension, or GMP. It’s also known as a contracted-out deduction, or COD.

It only affects the way we calculate increases to your pension, and only from the time you reach state pension age.

How does it affect me if I have a GMP?

From state pension age the government starts paying the increase on your GMP (it’s paid along with your state pension).

So when we pay the increase on your pension we pay it less the increase on your GMP. (Remember, the government pays this.)

What if I have membership after 6 April 1988?

It’s a bit more complicated if you have membership after 6 April 1988. If you do, we pay the increase on the part of your GMP that’s for your membership after this date. Except that if the increase is more than 3%, we only pay the increase on 3% and the government pays it on the rest.

I paid married woman’s reduced rate contributions – do I have a GMP?

There is no GMP for the time you paid the reduced rate.

Living abroad

If you live in a country that has a social security agreement with the United Kingdom, we work out your increase in the same way as in the example.

Otherwise we pay the increase on all of your pension, including your GMP.

How does GMP affect how pensions increase is paid and calculated?

Service Pre 5th April 1988:
Mr Jones retired in April 1987 with a pension of £150.00 per month. By the time he reached State Pensionable Age his pension was being paid at a rate of £205.82 per month made up as follows:

Original pension: £150.00
Pensions Increase: £ 55.82
Total: £205.82

At State Retirement Age, Mr Jones’ GMP was £50.00 per month, so the increase due in April 2001 of 3.3% was calculated as:

Total pension: £205.82
Less GMP: £ 50.00
Pension to be increased: £155.82
£155.82 x 3.3% = £5.14, so his pension was increased by £5.14 to £210.96 per month made up as follows:
Original pension: £150.00
Pensions Increase: £60.96 (£55.82 + £5.14)
Total: £210.96

HMRC started to pay PI of £1.65, i.e. £50.00 x 3.3%, on Mr Jones’ GMP from April 2001 so that his total pension in respect of his service was increased by 3.3%. This can be checked as follows:
Total increase due: £205.82 x 3.3% = £6.79
Increase paid by us: £5.14
Increase paid by the DWP: £1.65 (£50.00 x 3.3%)
Total increase paid: £6.79

Service Post 5th April 1988:
Mr Smith retired in 2000 at the age of 65. His pension was £200.00 per month. This included a GMP of £90.00 per month, of which £25.00 was earned after 5th April 1988.

The increase due in April 2001 was calculated as:
Original pension: £200.00
Less GMP earned after 5th April 1988: £ 25.00
Less GMP earned before 6th April 1988: £ 65.00
Pension to be increased: £110.00 (£110.00 x 3.3%) + (£25.00 post-88 GMP x 3%) £3.63 + £0.75 = £4.38

Therefore Mr Smith’s pension went up by £4.38 to £204.38 per month made up as follows:
Original pension: £200.00
Pensions Increase: £4.38
Total: £204.38

The balance of the 3.3% PI award on his GMP earned after 5th April 1988 was paid by the HMRC, along with the full PI award on his GMP earned before 6th April 1988. So Mr Smith’s total pension in respect of his service was increased by 3.3%. This can be checked as follows:
Total increase due: £200.00 x 3.3% = £6.60
Increase paid by us: £4.38
Increase paid by the HMRC: £2.22
(£65 x 3.3%) + (25 x 0.3%, the extra amount over 3% on service post 5th April 1988)
Total increase paid: £6.60

From November 2015, DWP started to include a Contracted-out Pension Equivalent (COPE) amount within State Pension statements.

This estimated amount was introduced to help customers, who’ve been contracted-out, see how National Insurance contributions paid before 6 April 2016 will contribute to their overall pension income.

Whilst they may not be entitled to the full amount of new State Pension, they will instead receive some of their pension income through a different route. In most cases, their workplace or personal pension scheme(s) should include an amount that is at least equivalent to the additional State Pension they would have got if they hadn’t been contracted-out. This is known as the COPE amount.

Here are some key questions and answers that explain more about COPE and why it’s being included in State Pension information.

What is the Contracted-out Pension Equivalent (COPE) amount?

Under the current State Pension system people with sufficient NI qualifying years can get the basic State Pension and also build up entitlement to the additional State Pension (called S2P/previously called SERPS). Many people have been contracted-out of the additional State Pension. For those who reach their State Pension age after 5 April 2016, the new State Pension replaces both the basic and the additional State Pension.

People who were contracted-out of the additional State Pension either paid lower NI contributions or some of their NI was instead paid into their workplace or personal pension. So to take into account that they have paid less into the NI system, the amount of State Pension they’ll get directly from the Government will be lower than that received by people with similar earnings who were not contracted-out.

However, the pension they get from their workplace or personal pension(s) should include an amount that, in most cases, will be at least equivalent to the additional State Pension they would have got if they hadn’t been contracted-out. This is known as the COPE amount. Their total private pension could even be higher.

The COPE amount set out in the statements is based on all periods of contracting out. If someone has been a member of more than one scheme that was contracted out, the COPE amount represents the COPE in respect of all those schemes.

Why are DWP including this amount on State Pension statements?

DWP are introducing the estimated COPE amount to help people understand why they may not be entitled to the full amount of new State Pension if they have been contracted-out. Instead they will receive some of their pension income through a different route.

How will customers be paid this amount?

The COPE amount will be paid as part of a customer’s workplace or personal pension scheme(s). It will usually be part of their total pension benefits under the scheme, and not identified separately.

The date when they receive their workplace or personal pension, and the full amount they receive, will depend on the rules of their scheme(s) and any investment choices made.

Will a customer receive this exact COPE amount?

Not necessarily. A customer’s workplace or personal pension scheme(s) should include an amount that is at least equal to the COPE amount shown in their State Pension information.

If they’ve been a member of a workplace or personal scheme where the amount of pension they get is based on their salary (e.g. Defined Benefit, Final Salary or Average Salary schemes), they may receive less than the COPE amount if:

 their scheme had financial difficulties and is underfunded; or  their rights were transferred to a scheme that wasn’t linked to salary and investments in that scheme didn’t perform well.

If they are, or have been, a member of a workplace pension scheme where the amount of pension they get isn’t linked to their salary (e.g. Defined Contribution, Money Purchase scheme), or if they are a member of a personal pension or stakeholder scheme, the amount they receive will depend on the performance of their investment and the choices they make.

What about customers who’ve divorced or dissolved their civil partnership?

If a customer has divorced or dissolved their civil partnership, and the courts have awarded a share of their workplace or personal pension to their former partner as a result, the actual amount they receive may be lower than the COPE amount shown in their State Pension information.