Members can buy added pension by either making an open-ended additional contribution from their pay each month, or by making a one-off lump sum payment.
Buying added pension by monthly contribution
Members must select how many years they want their added pension contract to run for on the application form.
Monthly added pension contracts start on 01 April and must be paid for the full scheme year. Contracts cannot stop before 31 March (unless the members leaves the Civil Service pensions scheme).
Members must apply to buy added pension by monthly contribution before the deadline.
Employers are responsible for notifying members each year of the deadline for buying added pension.
If a member applies to buy added pension within their first three months of joining the scheme, we will backdate their contributions to their start date.
13. Members can buy added pension by lump sum payment only once during the scheme year (1 April to 31 March) any time before the deadline.
Employers are responsible for notifying members each year of the deadline for buying added pension.
Members are advised to make a lump sum contribution either via salary or BACS. If a member pays via BACS, the payment must come from an account in their name.
Members can pay by cheque, but only when payment via salary or BACS is unavailable to them. Cheques should be made payable to ‘CO Civil Superannuation’ and the completed application form must be with MyCSP by 12 January 2024.
There is an overall limit to the amount of added pension a member can buy. The limit is reviewed each year and is adjusted in line with rises in the cost of living.
EPA allows members to pay more on top of their normal pension contributions to build up an EPA portion of their alpha pension. This can be paid one, two or three years before Normal Pension Age (NPA) without reduction for early payment.
Members can only buy EPA by monthly contribution.
If a member applies to buy EPA within three months of joining the scheme, their payment will be backdated to the date they joined.
Buying added pension by lump sum before 1 April 2024.
The table below shows the maximum amount of added pension that members are eligible to buy before 1 April 2024.
Membership
Maximum amount of added pension
classic
£6,800 (plus a lump sum amount of £20,400)
premium, classic plus or nuvos
£8,400
alpha
£8,400*
* This limit may be reduced if the member is also buying EPA
The table below shows the application deadline for buying added pension by lump sum before 1 April 2024.
Buying added pension
Deadline
Lump sum through payroll & BACs
9 February 2024
Lump sum by cheque*
12 January 2024
* Members must ensure that applications and cheques (if applicable) are received before the deadlines.
Buying added pension during 2024/25
The table below shows the maximum amount of added pension that members are eligible to buy before 1 April 2025.
Membership
Maximum amount of added pension
classic
£7,300 (plus a lump sum amount of £21,900)
premium, classic plus or nuvos
£9,000
alpha
£9,000*
* This limit may be reduced if the member is also buying EPA
Please note, it is no longer possible for members to take out a new contract for added pension in classic, premium, classic plus or nuvos. Any ongoing monthly contributions to these schemes are subject to the above limits and will continue until their intended end date or until members cancel them.
The limit for alpha added pension and EPA is £9,000 and is separate from the limit for classic, classic plus, premium and nuvos. It will be possible for members to buy the maximum amount in alpha even if they have already bought the maximum amount in classic, classic plus, premium, or nuvos.
The limits above apply to the maximum amount of added pension members can purchase and not the maximum contribution they can make. Purchasing EPA during 2024/25
32. alpha members cannot buy EPA if they have bought the maximum amount of added pension. Although there is no limit on how much EPA a member can buy, it counts towards the limit of added pension allowed.
Deadline for added pension and EPA monthly contribution applications
33. Members who wish to take out a contract to buy added pension or an EPA by monthly contributions for 2024/25 must send their completed application form to the Scheme Administrator by 8 March 2024.
Information to share with Civil Service Pension Scheme members
