Cymru/Wales NHS No Major Reviews Ambulance Service only Joined in 1970’s Part review in 1980’s No ‘Special Class’ status for Ambulance Staff HISTORY Pension Scheme - SERPS vs NHS SERPS pay in 1 takes out pay in 1 takes out It’s clear that this cannot continue Resulted in 6 reviews of the pension Scheme One on Average, every 10 years

Cymru/Wales The Realism for Ambulance Staff Only 1:100 Ambulance Staff reach 65 Average Length of EMS Service is yrs The Mean Retirement age is 53/54 yrs Nearly ALL Staff Retire on Ill Health The average life span Post Retirement is 5 yrs Every year we bury colleagues, with little retirement time, or even during their service.

Cymru/Wales The Review was a joint process including the NHS Trade Unions and NHS employers. In some areas these are proposals agreed by the partners as the best way forward. In others, more than one possible option is set out. In particular UNISON cannot support extending the Normal Pension age from 60 to 65. In addition the final salary scheme is valued by our members and we are not convinced of the case for the proposal for a Career Average Scheme. 1 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme Existing members. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme New entrants from 2006 and existing members by choice. 2 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme 5% manual, 6% others. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme Possibly 6% for all. Your views are sought on three options proposed in consultation document under “Employee Contribution Rate” (page 10). 3 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme Nurses, midwives, health visitors and mental health officers in post prior to Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme No special retirement rights. Views sought in consultation document (page 13) on the recommendation that protection for special class groups to be maintained. 4 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme 60 or 55 Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme 65 Workers who choose to retire at 60 instead of 65 will see the amount of their annual pension decreased by as much as 30%. UNISON opposes the increase as:- The proposed changes are a cut to terms and conditions. Workers will have to work an extra five years in order to receive an unreduced pension. More pensioners will be forced to depend on means-tested benefits. It will be harder to persuade workers to join the public sector schemes. Will hinder public service modernisation. 5 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme 50 (except voluntary Early Retirement (VER) with employer’s consent. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme 55 UNISON opposes: Increasing the minimum retirement age to 55 will reduce employer’s flexibility to reorganise services, preventing them from retiring workers between 50 and 55 whose jobs become redundant onto an immediate pension. 6 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme from age 16 to years at age 60 and 45 years overall. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme from age 16 to 75 no membership limit but a £1.5m lifetime allowance. 7 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme 1/80 th of pensionable pay for each year of membership. Final salary (or CARE for practitioners). Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme 1/60 th of pensionable pay for each year of membership. Final salary or CARE* (CARE retained for practitioners). Views sought in consultation document (page 5) on whether to retain final salary pensions or the introduction of career average pensions in the new scheme. UNISON is not convinced of the case for the proposal for a Career Average Scheme. * CARE - Career Average revalued earnings 8 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme Fixed lump sum 3/80 th. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme Lump sum by commutation* up to 25%. * Commutation: giving up part of the pension in exchange for a lump sum. (3/80ths only post 1972) 9 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme Best of last 3 years’ pensionable pay. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme Range of options being considered including up to the last 13 years’ pensionable pay. Views sought: Range of opportunities to be considered in consultation document under “Flexibility” (page 8). 10 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme No pensionable re-employment except ill-health and return to the NHS under age 50. Pension payable on retirement only. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme Pensionable re-employment - no exceptions. ‘Draw down’ - allows members to apply for part of their retirement benefits without stopping work. Views sought on step-down, draw-down, pensionable re-employment and enhanced pensions for late retirement (page 8). 11 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme No late retirement enhancement. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme Pension enhancement if retiring after of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme No abatement after age 60 or after 50 where pension is actuarially reduced on grounds of VER. VER from age 50 Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme No abatement at all or abatement based on enhanced element of the pension only. VER from age 55. * VER: Voluntary Early Retirement Views sought in consultation document (page 9). 13 of 21 Don’t forget our ‘Drive for 55’ campaign in Wales

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme Purchase of Added Years. Three AVC/Stakeholder partners (Standard Life, The Prudential and Equitable Life Assurance Society). Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme In-house AVC * scheme to buy extra pension and/or maintain a revised Added Years arrangement. Maintain choice of providers or reduce to one AVC/Stakeholder partner or remove arrangement. Views sought on three options for an externally provided MPAVC * Scheme in the future. (page 9). 14 of 21 * AVC: Additional Voluntary Contributions MPAVC: Money Purchase Additional Voluntary Contributions

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme Protection where members lose pay through no fault of their own such as employer- instigated organisational change. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme Maintain current protection arrangements; extend to allow employees to secure protection where loss of pay is voluntary and allow members to maintain contributions on higher pay. 15 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme Ill-health retirement benefits up to 10 years’ extra service. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme Partnership review of sickness and ill-health arrangements. Views sought in consultation document regarding sickness and ill- health retirement arrangements (page 10/11). LIKELY TO HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON AMBULANCE SERVICES 16 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme For legal spouse only and same-sex registered civil partnerships from 2006 Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme For all partners (same-sex unregistered and unmarried partners) Ending of cessation of survivor pension on remarriage Views sought on providing partner pensions including ending cessation or survivor pension on remarriage (page 7). 17 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme Death in service lump sum twice annual pensionable pay. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme Considering increasing death in service lump sum to three times annual pensionable pay for those with no dependants, two times annual pensionable pay for all others. Views sought within consultation document (page 7/8). 18 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme Payable under the age of 17 and from 17 if still in full-time education (beyond 23 if physically or mentally dependent). Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme Payable if under 17 whilst in full time education up to the age of 23, or payable up to the age of 23 in all cases (beyond 23 if physically or mentally dependent). Views sought within consultation document regarding payments (page 7). 19 of 21

Cymru/Wales Current NHS Pension Scheme Initial widow/widower(s) pension paid for 3 or 6 months subject to dependent children. Proposed new NHS Pension Scheme Initial widow/widower(s) pension paid for 6 months regardless of dependent children. 20 of 21

Cymru/Wales Detailed information and documents relating to the Review of the NHS Pension Scheme can be found at In addition the UNISON website is continually being updated with new information & 21 of 21