To ask if any other nhs workers have heard they may end up WORSE OFF after the pay rise?.

[baconbuttieswithsauce]

My DH is in a flap. He found out today that due to an increase in pension contributions following his pay rise in September, he may end up with a negative sum and there owe his trust money. How can this be correct?? He's at the bottom of band 5 (it will affect band 3/5/8a apparently), and is due to moving up to the next pension threshold and due to workers being paid back pay from April. His Trust have mentioned helping staff with plans on how to pay money back that it owed
It makes no sense to me, but is obviously worrying, as this is not the time for us to have less coming in to the household,

Can anyone explain this to me?

www.nurses.co.uk/careers-hub/nhs-pay-calculator/

This is the one I used. It works for me because I don't have any other deductions (so no student loan, no salary sacrifice for anything).

So I can confirm this was correct. My husband (different band in the nhs) has received an extra couple of hundred pounds in his pay. Mine is £200 lower than usual due to the situation outlined above. Thanks NHS, really appreciated that gift(!),

Those saying that staff will be “better off” in the long run are putting too much gloss on this, from what I’ve read.

The final pension payout will still be the same calculation - you’ll be no better off in real terms when you finally get to retire than you were before the change. The calculation is still the same.

What is changing is that, for the majority of the bands, you’ll be having a bigger percentage of your salary deducted at source. For some, because of the backdating of the (yet again) pathetic pay settlement, it’ll mean the extra pension deductions more than wipe out the raise.

But I agree with PP that opting out of the pension isn’t a good long term move.

I also know about colleagues that this has happened to.

@LadyRoughDiamond I’d be interested to know how your husband did this, as I’m a band 7 who was hit by the % increase and am considering doing the same.

I almost opted out when I saw the deduction but don’t want to act on impulse.

@Coffeeisbae Involved getting a pension statement from Capita, which was painful. After that he, apparently, signed an opt-out form (available online) then sent the opt-in paperwork a few months later. Just make sure you set a calendar reminder to opt back in.

Ironically, he’ll be better off with these pension changes, but may need to take a pay cut anyway to fund practice utility bills and the (unfunded) staff pay increase 🤦‍♀️

And they wonder why they’re so short of nurses etc in the NHS!

I am band 5 and had an email saying I was affected and would I like to spread it over 5 months. I then had another email saying I would receive no less than my last months wage, I’m going to let them take it this month!.

This is definitely a thing. My colleague is also bottom of band 5 and got a letter addressed specifically to her saying she owed money. I’m top B5 and didn’t end up owing anything (for comparison)

Yes, think I will be worse off or roughly the same at bottom of band 5. It's all very confusing and most my back pay has been deducted back for pension contributions. I did get a letter about changing contributions but didn't explicitly say I owed money. About to go up to middle pay point so will see what happens.

Am thinking seriously about quitting the NHS, not just the pension scheme

@LadyRoughDiamond Thank you, that’s honestly helped me. I think NHSE pension statements are on ESR, so I’ll start there. Great tip re the calendar reminder, I’d have definitely forgotten for at least a year!

Oh my, I’m sorry to hear that he may have to take a pay cut though. Where is the balance in all of this?😕

This seems like an opportune time to remind nurses to VOTE FOR STRIKE ACTION with the vote taking place shortly.

The pension contributions change in October so for some it may be worth checking this before opting out of pensions as the reductions will increase take home pay for lots of people e.g for me my contribution will go from 12.5% (currently) down to 11.6% (in October) and then next year 10.7%.

I know that doesn’t help people struggling with getting less this month but wanted to highlight incase it stops you going through the faff of opting out

I dont understand it
Say for example I got £1000 backpack, surely I should only pay 9.3% on that?

I got around 600 backpack but paid just short of 400 in pension arrears - how is that 9?odd percent of 600 quid

Remember for any part timers on here that they’re changing the rules. Eg it used to be that you paid the % amount for the full time equivalent of your banding. Now you pay the % amount for what you actually take home. For anyone thinking of leaving the pension, try not to if possible as you’re literally giving away free money. My mate did this for 20 years and now has no idea when she’ll be able to retire. She says it’s one of her biggest regrets. Maybe do reduced payments for 6-12 months?

Similar to my partner - she could have retired earlier if she’d stayed in the older (2009?) scheme but she opted out of the pension around the time she’d just had kids, eventually taking about five years out. It has dramatically changed what she will retire with and when she’ll be able to retire.

But I’m not aware of any private pension schemes (unless you’re in the realms of CEO of BP) which will give you the same kinds of final payout, for the same personal contributions, as the NHS one. Even the 2015 scheme.

Please try and speak to someone about this before you decide to leave the pension scheme, it's a totally different kettle of fish for GPs who will be earning more than you are and have other reasons to opt in and out of the scheme.

Yes this is a pain for people at a really tough time.. I think in London it affects one band lower due to the added London weighting . Annoying!

I'm a rarity as I will be a lot better off due to being part-time so I think my contributions are going down from around 12% to around 6%
Lovely though that is now, it is annoying that part timers have ever had to pay contributions based on what they might have earned rather than on the reality

Yes, this has been so unfair previously.

I can't imagine being married to a man where these sums would matter nor working in a job myself where it would be an issue and if a man I lived with worried like this, or earned that amount, which surely isn't liveable, I wouldn't be patting his head

@QueenOfHiraeth I'm part time on band 3 so I'm so confused if I will be better or worse off and nervous about what I'll receive next week!

another 8a here who got minus £200 this month. I was already earning less than the 7's I manage as I am paid for 34 hours but do more like 40 most weeks. Very depressing. It is bad enough having to work 5 years for an incremental rise but then having a pay cut 😭😭

Interesting comment there. Is that you, Liz?