To leave the Civil Service due to cost of living?

[TipsyDenimViper]

I'm an AO who earns 24.8k. if we do receive this pay rise of up to 5%, I'll be around £70 a month better off.

I'm (quite low down) on a reserve list for an EO role I may or may not get.

I have an interview tomorrow for a role outside of the CS which starts on just over 30k and will increase after probation and so on.

If you want to live alone in an actual flat/house, not a tiny studio/bedsit/flat share like I have been doing, 24,800 is not a lot for a person on their own.

Yes, I could 'get by'. But I'm sick of just getting by, i'm single and have just bought my first home.
I need to be in a position where I can save each month/put some aside in case of repairs/emergencies.
Life is hard enough as it is.

Anyway, I've only been there a year, I'm nervous about giving my notice. I know the pension is a lot better, but I'm not worrying about that at this time of my life.

I've been very lucky to make 3 friends at work (and a 4th one who's left), as well as a few acquaintances.

The rest of my team are all nice, but just keep to themselves and only interested in socialising together. I've tried inviting them to things but they just aren't interested and never invite you for lunch etc. So it can be tough sometimes.
I'm just ready for a new start, should I go for this job if I get it?

If you want better pay now then you should look for a better paid job, however you can't beat the civil service pension. It's up to you how much you value it. I've changed sectors several times. It's not conscription

God Bless the Civil Service Pension that enabled me to retire at 50 😉

My brother left the civil service for similar reasons – the salary movement was just too difficult and frustrating. He did stay in the public sector however, and still had a great pension and earns A LOT more.

I have tried, but there's a knack to this whole STAR method that I just can't get.
Everyone talks about the pension, I know it's a lot better, but at the minute I'm on a low income and that's my priority.

Life is short, not to sound pessimistic but I may not even live to see that pension, it's over 30 years off too.
There is no progression in my dept, we're around 35 AOs to 3 EOs and 2 HEOs.

There’s so much advice on success profiles and getting promotion. Look at development, do volunteer roles to get better experience if can’t find it at work. I’d never leave the civil service personally, I’ve worked my way up and the pay is ok, if you’re not in the south east (which I am but planning to leave). If you’re not worried about less in security and poorer pension then yes leave

I work in the Civil Service in an entry level role and all of my younger colleagues have had to take on second jobs to survive. I’m lucky that I have a husband who earns more and we get by OK, but it’s not OK that people are having to work second jobs just to pay for life 😡.

Civil service has a no redundancy policy plus gold plated pension. I'd look to move within the civil service first not leave it

I have tried to move but recruitment is so slow.
I am about to move and in a position where I need to be earning more money fairly quickly. I got my current role from the reserve list, between applying and actually starting, it took 1 year.

I could always look for something else in between.

Yes of course, why would you stay? I used to be a civil servant and left because my priorities changed; I just found another role which suited me better for various reasons (not only pay but others reasons too).

I always found it slightly strange how a lot of my colleagues seemed to hate it but were determined to stay because leaving the civil service apparently isn’t the done thing.

Also, the PP talking about retiring at 50 is talking nonsense, you can’t do that. You could in theory retire at 55 but your pension would be so heavily reduced that I doubt it would be enough to live on if you were at the lower grades.

I know I'll be missing out on the pension, but unfortunately that isn't enough to make me want to accept living on a low income.

90% of my colleagues are under 25 and live with parents. The other few are married. I honestly don't know many at all like me in their 30s and living alone on an AA or AO salary.

It depends on your progression potential outside the CS for me. I went from EO to G7 in just under 5 years, 30k might have looked attractive then but now I’m on 60k and I wouldn’t be able to make the same in the private sector where I live.

I started as an AO and I’m now a G7. It can be done but it’s a hoop jumping process.

I would take the higher paying job. The pension is not as good as it once was either. If you live in an area with CS presence you can always get another CS job. In many ways it’s easier for external candidates as they can claim to have done all sorts of wonderful things that is impossible to check!

I left the Civil Service on VES back in 2016, but took a 50% pay cut in the private sector. I went from EO to G7 in a similar timeframe to the poster above. I went from HEO to G7, didn't bother with an SEO job.

I often wonder if I'll go back, but some G7 jobs now look more like what old G5 jobs used to be!

I've found the nhs pretty good for promotion plus you get increments over a decade. Managers are usually good but lots of twattery at higher levels. Pension is 10% of pay though and so that takes a whack out

Consider weighing the benefits of the new job to CS benefits, too. It's not all about the pension (though it's definitely attractive). I've taken two periods of well funded maternity leave as well as extended sick leave. Also, is the potential new employer a large company with established processes? Or are they likely to drop employees on a whim? It can be hard to stick it out through the tough bits, like now, but once you're in the CS you can side step much more easily than an external recruit could, and it might be worth the short term pain for long term gain.

Not sure why anyone is encouraging you to stay in a 24K a year job. Get outta there and make more money. There are plenty of private sector employers that encourage hybrid and flexible working so unless the pension is a deciding factor (and it doesn't sound like it is) then leave.

Pensions are important but you can’t live for them of course.

I think on current rates it’s worth about 20% of salary (?) so you could factor that in to your overall pay package.

Also it’s now linked to state pension age anyway so you wouldn’t be able to retire at 50 like a (lucky!) pp.

Civil service has a no redundancy policy plus gold plated pension.

Um, no....you can very much be made redundant, and I don't think the pension qualifies the old school expression of "gold plated" now it isn't final salary (though it's very good).

If you've made your mind up OP, why have you asked the question?

The pension really isn't that great.

I was thinking the same although HEO. I have taken the opportunity to push for an apprenticeship whilst recruitment is on such a hard freeze. The civil service pension is great but if you are single I would consider the sick pay and holiday/flexi that also comes with it as a benefit you won’t get in the private sector. Check for internal EOIs as well - we’ve started getting some in my department and they are less focused on STAR until you get to interview so you may have more luck there. Also, if you have an area of interest see if you can get some days “shadowing” you might hear of opportunities coming - especially if they are bidding for a ‘token’ so you can get some tips on how to prepare.

What do you do? Tbh most careers are better paid in the private sector. You can always go to civil service when youre older and more senior and those pension contributions will be bigger and more attractive. I think move, move when youre establishing yourself. ABI - always be interviewing.

Your post can be deleted but the person will be put on redeployment. Civil servants are not made redundant though they can be offered voluntary redundancy with a package. Same with local authorities. It's part of union agreements.