Date posted: 01/12/2010
Audience: This Notice will be of particular interest to:
- HR staff dealing with early departure exercises
Action: To use the attached guidance for communicating and handling your early departure exercises.
If you are planning an early departure scheme, please speak to your MyCSP Client Relationship Manager (see details below and please note changes to details given in EPN289)
If you have any questions on the scheme policy, please raise these via the Employer Helpdesk. If you have any questions about handling, please refer to your Pension Service Centre.
Timing: Scheme effective from 22 December 2010.
- The new Civil Service Compensation Scheme is introduced with effect from 22 December 2010. As outlined in EPN289, we are providing you with a toolkit of materials to support you in handling and communicating your departure schemes. We will issue a revised EPG Section 6.3 shortly.
- The following materials are attached to this EPN:
(a) Civil Service Compensation Scheme – Guidance for employers
(b) Step by step for employers (EPG Section 6.3 Table 1)
(c) Step by step for staff (EPG Annex 6E)
(d) Guidance for staff (these will be available on the Civil Service Pensions website)
i. Voluntary Exit
ii. Voluntary Redundancy
iii. Compulsory Redundancy
(e) Calculators
i. Voluntary Exit, Voluntary Redundancy and Compulsory Redundancy –this is for Employers, to help you to design and cost your scheme.
ii. Voluntary Exit – for you to make available to your staff when offering Voluntary Exit
iii. Voluntary Redundancy and Compulsory Redundancy - for you to make available to your staff when offering Voluntary of Compulsory Redundancy
iv. CILON – this is for you to be able to work out the cost of compensation in lieu of notice
v. Actuarial Reduction Buy out – this is already on the Civil Service Pensions website under ‘calculators’
(f) Forms
i. Early Departure Scheme – application for Cabinet Office approval – to be completed by the Employer
ii. Work Request Form – your MyCSP Client Relationship Manager will complete this with you. You will need your approval reference number (‘Unique Reference’) from Cabinet Office.
iii. Compensation Scheme Information Form (CSCS1) – for completion by the employees when they express an interest in your Voluntary Exit or Voluntary Redundancy scheme.
- Compensation Declaration Forms enable staff to accept or decline the compensation offer (for Voluntary Exit or Voluntary Redundancy) and provide information for access to their pension as applicable. There are five different forms depending on the eligibility of the employee – your Pension Service Centre will send the appropriate form to you with each quote. New ‘My Civil Service Pension’ letter headings
- In your communications to staff about the handling of your departure scheme, you will be referring to My Civil Service Pension and your Pension Service Centre. Pension Service Centres are currently using their former departmental letter heading with the Civil Service Pensions ‘roundabout’ logo. If this continues, it will be confusing to staff if they are expecting a communication from My Civil Service Pension.
- We are introducing a new My Civil Service Pension letter heading to present a consistent approach, from early in the New Year. The roundabout scheme logo on scheme booklets and leaflets will be replaced by a Civil Service themed identity over time as materials are reprinted. The new letter headings will be used for all correspondence to staff, Scheme members and employers.
Approved Early Retirement (AER) for premium scheme members
- You will recall that the 1 April 2010 Compensation scheme was quashed and Approved Early Retirement for premium members became unavailable under the scheme rules.
- The rules have been retrospectively amended to re-introduce AER for premium members for the period 1 April 2010 to 21 December 2010. This means that members who previously left on AER on an ex-gratia payment basis during this period are now covered by the scheme rules. This amendment extends to those who are part of a formal agreement made before 22 December 2010.
Attachments
