Choice provided all eligible members of the NHS Pension Scheme with a one-off option to move all of their membership from the 1995 Section into the 2008 Section.
A second Choice exercise was announced when the 2015 Scheme launched called ‘Choice 2’. This gave members who had received a Choice statement and had previously elected to remain in the 1995 Section, another opportunity to move.
To be eligible to move your benefits from the 1995 Section to the 2008 Section, you had to be in the Scheme on 1 April 2015. If you left NHS employment before this date, you lost the right to make your choice.
The second Choice exercise was for members who would be moved to the 2015 Scheme as they had no protection or tapered protection.
Both exercises were created to allow members who expect to be working for the NHS until their State Pension age the opportunity to move to a more flexible Scheme.
Choice 2 revocation
If you opted to move your 1995 Section service to the 2008 Section as part of the Choice 2 exercise, you had an opportunity to revoke that choice and move your 2008 Section service back into the 1995 Section.
You were contacted from 20 February 2024 with the offer to revoke your original Choice 2 decision. You had until 18 June 2024 to let us know if you wanted to revoke your original choice.
If you wanted your service to remain in the 2008 Section, you did not need to do anything.
If we did not receive a response from the letter before 18 June 2024, eligible pension benefits built up to 31 March 2022 remained in the 2008 Section.
We’re unable to provide definitive calculations based on individual circumstances.
We published further information on our website to help you make your decision. This included:
- a factsheet
- a decision tree
- an illustration to demonstrate the difference in benefits that may be available at various retirement ages between age 60 and 68
If you have any queries about revocation, email mccloudchoice2@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. You'll receive a response within 2 weeks.
Choice 2 queries will be dealt with as a priority. We aim to action Choice 2 forms within 4 weeks.
You must not send duplicate emails as this may impact the overall timescales for a response to be received.
Members who moved their service as part of the original Choice exercise
This offer was not open to members who moved their service as part of the original Choice exercise.
In response to the Court of Appeals decision that some changes to public service schemes in 2015 discriminated against younger members based on age, NHS Pensions along with other public sector schemes chose to give those members who moved to the 2008 Section under Choice 2 the option to reverse their decision.
This is because had it not been for the introduction of the 2015 Scheme and the knowledge that for the remedy period the member could remain in the 1995 Section, they may not have made the same choice.
Original Choice members who moved to the 2008 Section have not been given the Choice 2 option as their decision was based on lifestyle and retirement choices. Members could have remained in the 1995 Section if they wished.