Date posted: 01/02/2011
Audience: This Notice will be of particular interest to:
- HR staff dealing with early departure exercises.
Action:
- Replace the calculators issued with EPN291 with the updated calculators issued with this EPN
- If you are in the process of running an early departure scheme and have put the relevant member calculator on your intranet, please replace with the updated version with the form of words for members given below
Timing: Immediate
Background
- To enable you and your members to calculate the compensation payment under the new CSCS arrangements, we issued an employer calculator and two member calculators, one for voluntary exit and one for voluntary and compulsory redundancy, together with CSCS Employer Guidance. These were all issued with EPN291. Unfortunately we have discovered an error which affects all three calculators.
Action for you
- The error in the calculator affected some tapering cases and some over 60 part timers. Although the error on the calculators will not affect all such cases, we advise you to revisit any such cases in these categories.
- If you are in the process of running an early departure scheme and have already put the relevant calculator on your intranet, please replace the calculator with the new version with the form of words below. This will ensure any members whose compensation may be affected by the error, can recalculate their benefits. Form of words below.
‘Please be aware that an error has been found on the [Voluntary exit] [Voluntary and Compulsory Redundancy] calculator. The error will affect some of you where your compensation payment has been tapered. Your compensation payment will only be tapered if the months to scheme pension age plus 6 months is less than your current service. It will never apply to anyone who is more than 15 months away from scheme pension age. If you are unsure whether or not tapering applies to you, we advise you to run your figures through the amended calculator. The error will also affect some part timers over 60. If you have any problems please let us know.’
- We hoped to issue revised CSCS Guidance for Employers with this EPN but we are waiting for clarification on points of policy. Rather than delay the issue of the amended calculators, we will send out the revised guidance separately as soon as we have the necessary information.
- A copy of form CSCS 1 was included with EPN291. After representation from Pension Service Centres, the form has been amended to ask the employee to provide the Scheme Reference Number. The revised version of CSCS 1 is attached to this EPN.
Reference
This document replaces EPN140, EPN154, EPN206 and EPN238
Contacts
Enquiries about content, distribution or to receive in a different format
employerhelpdesk@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
01256 846414
Employer Helpdesk
Civil Service Pensions
Grosvenor House
Basing View
Basingstoke
RG21 4HG
Attachments
