You may be able to transfer to another pension scheme registered with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
If you’re transferring out to another NHS Pension Scheme, contact the scheme you’re transferring to. They’ll tell you how to complete the transfer.
If you want to transfer to a pension scheme outside the NHS, complete the transfer out guide and application pack.
If you’re an active member or have left NHS employment in the last 12 months, you must also ask your employer to complete a FA11a form.
Your transfer must meet conditions brought in by new regulations which came into force in November 2021. We'll send you information about this when you make your application.
There are restrictions on the type of scheme you can transfer to if you have 2 or more years membership in the Scheme. You can only transfer to a scheme that does not provide flexible benefits.
Public Sector Transfer Club (PSTC)
If your receiving scheme is a member of the PSTC and you want the transfer to be completed on Club terms, you must apply and elect to proceed with the transfer within 12 months of joining your new scheme.
Overseas scheme
There’s a separate application pack if the receiving scheme is overseas.
Details of the type of scheme you can transfer to and the time limits can be found in the overseas transfer out guide and application pack.
Receiving scheme not known
If you’ve left or opted out of the NHS Pension Scheme, you can request a transfer value if you do not yet have a scheme in mind to transfer to.
Complete the transfer out guide and application pack. You must select the receiving scheme is 'not known'.
An estimated transfer value will be produced.
Once we’ve received a transfer value request naming the receiving scheme, we’ll produce a guaranteed transfer value statement if the receiving scheme meets the requirements. This is free of charge.
Once you’ve received the transfer value statement, you’ll have 3 months to make a decision.
Opted out of the NHS Pension Scheme
If you’ve opted out of the NHS Pension Scheme but have not left NHS employment, there may be restrictions on the amounts available for transfer.
If you have more than 2 years membership before 6 April 1988, you can only transfer benefits accrued after that date.
When you leave NHS employment, the remaining benefits may become available for transfer. To be eligible for a full transfer you must have a break of one calendar month in NHS employment.
Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV)
Once we’ve received a completed transfer out guide and application pack, we’ll send a CETV within 3 months.
If you’ve left the NHS Pension Scheme, we’ll also issue the TV18 option forms and any other forms required. The forms issued will be appropriate to the scheme you’re transferring to.
Contact the scheme you’re looking to transfer to with the CETV to see what benefits they’ll provide if you transfer to them. The CETV is guaranteed for 3 months from the date of calculation.
Read more information on our website on requesting a CETV.
Transfer payment
If you proceed with the transfer out, the TV18 option form and any other forms required must be sent to us by post. We must receive these forms either:
- within the 3 months the CETV is guaranteed for
- before your Normal Pension Age (NPA) if this is earlier.
If the forms are received within the time limit, we aim to make the transfer payment to your new pension provider within 30 working days of receiving your request.
If we need further information before a payment can be made, the payment will be made before the statutory target of 6 months.
We’ll issue payment with a covering letter to your new pension provider.
Read more information on transferring out of the Scheme on our website.
Cancelling transfer out
If the payment has been made, it cannot be cancelled.
If you’ve completed a TV18 and we've not yet made payment, you must put the request to cancel in writing.