Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether requirement were placed on the NHS Business Services Authority or its predecessor organisations to inform nurses on (a) changes to and (b) the removal of Special Class Status.

When Special Class Status was withdrawn for new members from 6 March 1995, the NHS Pensions Agency which was an Executive Agency of the Department, issued guidance in December 1994 to inform members of changes to Special Class Status.

It is for employers to decide locally how they communicate changes to the NHS Pension Scheme to their staff, including changes to Special Class Status. In accordance with the NHS Pension Scheme Regulations, employers are required to keep accurate and up to date local pension records and to submit an annual pension return in respect of every employee to the Scheme manager within two months of pension year end.

At the inception of the 2015 Scheme, the NHS Business Service Authority published the following guidance on changes to Special Class Status for members moving between Schemes:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2018-10/Special%20Class%20status%20member%20factsheet-20181017-%28V7%29%20.pdf

The NHS Business Services Authority Functions Directions 2016[1] require the NHS Business Services Authority to exercise on behalf of the Secretary of State all functions relating to the NHS Pension Schemes that are conferred upon the Secretary of State, with the exception of making scheme regulations and directions. Specifically, the Directions require the NHS Business Services Authority to provide advice and guidance to employers operating within the schemes.

Note:

¹https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2017-02/Section_2_-_B1_NHSBSA_Directions_2016.pdf