The quickest way to submit your request is by using the form below. However, if you'd prefer to print out and return this form by post, you can download the postal version.

Application to start Effective Pension Age contributions from 1 April should be submitted after 1 January of the year in which contributions will commence. Deadlines for purchasing EPA are advised on the Civil Service website each year. Please do not complete this form outside of these timelines as your application will not be considered.

Please refer to the notes below for support completing this form.

Personal Details 1

Your personal details

Personal Details 2
Personal Details Choices
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Please choose one and enter the details in the fields that appear below. We'll use this to help us verify your identity.
EPA contributions

EPA contributions



EPA contributions information

Please note: this option is only available for members who have joined the scheme in the last 3 months. 

When applying for an EPA and backdating it to your start date, this may mean that your EPA starts in the previous scheme year.

Help with this
See the notes below for information on how to find your NPA.
EPA age (66)

EPA age (67)


EPA age (68 and over)



EPA age (Other)




Your declaration

Your declaration

I wish to start an EPA option / replace my current option as detailed in the above section.
I understand that this application is binding, and if accepted I must continue this EPA option for at least one full scheme year. It cannot be cancelled before that point.
I have read the notes below regarding the application and EPA options.
By completing this form, I confirm that I am a member of alpha and that I have either used the online
calculator or received an estimate direct from the scheme administrator, MyCSP.

Notes

Your Normal Pension Age (NPA) can be different to your State Pension Age. Your NPA is defined by the rules of the pension scheme you are seeking to draw your pension from. Your State Pension Age is the earliest age you can start receiving your State Pension.

  • For alpha it's 65 or if later, your State Pension Age
  • For Nuvos it's 65
  • For Classic, Classic Plus and Premium, it's 60

You can only claim EPA if you are doing so as a member of the alpha scheme.

  • You must be an active member of the alpha scheme.
  • You must not be receiving ‘assumed pay’. This is usually when you go on to a long period of sickness or maternity leave, and are getting a reduced rate of pay.
  • You must not have purchased the maximum added pension in the alpha scheme.
  • Applications to start EPA contributions from 1 April should be submitted after 1 January of the year in which contributions will commence.

Applications must be received within three months of joining alpha (this includes the date that you moved from classic, classic plus, premium or nuvos) for EPA options that will apply from the start date.

Applications to start at the beginning of the next scheme year must be received in good time. This is before the annual deadline that will be advised.

  • All EPA options must be paid for a full scheme year.
  • An EPA option cannot be cancelled until 31 March following the start of your contributions. A cancellation can only take place if you supply a valid request.
  • As an option cannot be cancelled part way through a year, you must ensure that you have used the online calculator or received an estimate from the scheme administrator, MyCSP, before you proceed with an application.
  • Unless you choose to cancel or change your contributions, your option will automatically renew for the next scheme year.
  • Your EPA option will be cancelled when you leave alpha (you are no longer an active member). If you rejoin within five years, your option will restart unless you choose to cancel it.
  • Your EPA option will cease (you will stop paying the contributions) the day before you reach the age your option can be paid in full.
  • For example your Normal Pension Age (NPA) is 68 and you buy a NPA minus three years EPA option. On the eve of your 65th birthday, your EPA option will end.

The level of payment you will need to make will be confirmed before your contract starts.

The amount you will pay will change each year as it is dependent on your age. It can also change when therates which determine the cost are revised by the Scheme Actuary.

We will confirm the level of contribution each year before your EPA option is automatically renewed.

Your NPA is linked to your State Pension age, so it can change.

Your EPA option is NPA minus one, two, or three years. You can claim in full one, two, or three years earlier than your NPA.

For example if your NPA is 68 and you buy an EPA option of NPA minus three. It can be paid in full at age 65 (68 – 3 = 65).

If your NPA changes to 69. Your EPA pension can now be paid in full from 66 (69 – 3 = 66).

Published:
4 May 2023
Last updated:
5 January 2024
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