NHS: Workplace Pensions
(asked on 25th June 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support retiring NHS staff whose pensions are not processed within the target processing time.
The Department regularly meets with the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) to discuss performance levels. These discussions include the processing times for National Health Service pension applications.
The NHSBSA aims to make the first payment for a new pension within 30 calendar days of the retirement date or the date when all information necessary to process the claim is received from the member and employer.
The NHSBSA is processing a high volume of claims. In May 2026, 97% of new pension claims were paid within the 30-day timeframe. For the remaining claims, payments took an average of 14 additional days beyond the 30-day timeframe. Up-to-date information on processing times is available on the NHSBSA website, at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/current-processing-times-nhs-pensions
Where a payment is likely to take longer than 30 days, to minimise the risk of financial hardship, the NHSBSA contacts members who have queried the progress of their claim to offer expedited payment. They also prioritise the processing of claims involving vulnerable members and those experiencing ill health. A member whose first pension payment is delayed beyond the 30-day timeframe will automatically receive interest on the overdue amount.
The Department is supporting the NHSBSA to take all steps necessary to increase performance so that applications can be processed within the 30-day target. To address the delays, the NHSBSA is re-allocating resources, improving their service planning, and recruiting and training new staff.
The Department is working with the NHSBSA to ensure that plans for providing McCloud remedy statements to affected scheme members take account of and protect the delivery of normal pension service operations, which continue to run in parallel to remedy activities.