You must complete an AW8 when an employee wants to claim their pension benefits.
The AW8 cannot be submitted more than 105 days before the employee’s intended retirement date.
Complete an AW8 application form through Pensions Online (POL) unless:
- you do not have access to POL
- the member's record has been closed with exit code 02 'Resignation or dismissal in consequence of an offence of a fraudulent nature or misconduct'
- the member opted out of the Scheme under normal pension age (NPA) and is claiming benefits from before they opted out
You must check if you also need to submit a supplementary form.
Follow the guidance for:
- completing an AW8 on POL
- completing a paper AW8
- additional information for submitting an AW8 on POL or by paper
Completing an AW8 on POL
P45 tax code
If you’re asked to enter the member's tax code from their P45, enter the dummy figure ‘0’.
Practice Manager
If the Practice Manager is processing their own AW8, the person signing the form must send an email to polia3@nhsbsa.nhs.uk to confirm verification.
A paper copy of the AW8 must be printed and kept by the practice for audit purposes, along with a copy of the email.
SD55T
You must allow at least 24 hours before submitting the AW8 after you've submitted an SD55T.
If at least 24 hours have passed and you’re still unable to submit the AW8, contact the POL helpline.
Completing a paper AW8
You must take a copy of the form for your records.
The AW8 can be sent as an email attachment to pensionscanquery@nhsbsa.nhs.uk or by post to:
NHS Pensions
PO Box 683
Unit 5
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE5 9EE
Note on the front of the form the reason the AW8 has been posted.
We'll return paper AW8 applications if:
- information is incomplete
- the AW8 should have been submitted on POL
Practice Manager
If the Practice Manager is submitting their own AW8, the paper form must be signed and authorised at Part 6 by a senior partner or GP.
The senior partner or GP is responsible for the verification of original certificates or certified copies at Part 4.
Additional information for submitting an AW8 on POL or by paper
Paying authority
This is who pays the employee’s salary. This may be different to the place where the employee works, if another area is responsible for your payroll.
Employee has more than one job
You must complete the AW8 with the composite pay for both posts if the employee is working in more than one post within your employing authority (EA).
Send an email with the subject ‘Award Pending’ to polia3@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.
If you’re not able to calculate composite pay, use the total pensionable pay (TPP) and notional whole-time (NWT) from the employee's substantive post on the AW8. This is the post the member works the most regular hours in.
Email polia3@nhsbsa.nhs.uk to confirm which figures you have used. We'll calculate the composite pay. If we’re unable to do this, we may request further information.
If the employee has been employed by you for less than 365 days, POL will only allow you to enter details for the period of time that relates to your employment. If you have the details of the TPP for the whole period, e-mail polia3@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.
Protection certificate
You must send the employee’s protection certificate to us by email or post.
Supplementary forms
Once completed, this must be sent to polia3@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.
Member has opted out
Once you've submitted an AW8, submit an AW8 Supplementary form.
Member is taking partial retirement
If the member is claiming pension benefits by partial retirement but remaining in employment, they're not considered to have left employment for the purposes of the AW8.
To avoid payroll suspension, the AW8 form question 'Will you be re-employed in the NHS after Retirement for this job?' must be answered as 'No'. Re-employment information must not be included.
Once you’ve submitted an AW8, submit a partial retirement supplementary form.
Find more information about partial retirement on our website.