The Royal Mail scheme has undergone several changes which are outlined in this diagram. In summary:

If you joined the scheme after 1 April 1987 and before 1 April 2008 you will have benefits in Section C. 

If you joined the scheme after December 1971 and before 1 April 1987 you will have benefits in Section B.

If you joined the scheme before December 1971 and didn’t transfer to Section B you will have benefits in Section A.

If you have benefits in Sections A, B or C and were still working for Royal Mail on 1 April 2018 you will have switched to building up benefits in the Cash Balance scheme. 

Any benefits earned before 1 April 2012 are paid by the Royal Mail Statutory Pension Scheme (RMSPS). Any benefits earned after that date are paid by the Royal Mail Pension Plan (RMPP). The RMPP’s website is www.royalmailpensionplan.co.uk and you will need to go there if you joined a Royal Mail scheme after 1 April 2008 or have benefits in the Cash Balance scheme. 

If you have benefits in RMSPS but have not yet started to draw a pension from these benefits then you are a deferred member. Some members may have some benefits which are payable at age 60 and some which are payable at age 65 so may have a pension in payment and also some deferred benefits.

Yes. The administration of the RMPP remains with the Royal Mail Group PSC. From 1 October members of both schemes will therefore receive separate correspondence with respect to their RMSPS benefits and their RMPP benefits. There will be separate helplines and email addresses for each scheme.

If you joined the Royal Mail Pension Plan before 1 April 2008 you will have benefits in the RMSPS. You may also have RMSPS benefits if you were a partner or a dependant of a deceased RMSPS member and were eligible for a widow’s/ widower’s pension or a dependant’s pension.

The Royal Mail Group PSC administers the RMSPS under a contract with Cabinet Office agreed in 2012. In advance of that contract expiring in 2018, the Cabinet Office undertook a procurement process which allowed other providers to bid for the work. Based on the published selection criteria Capita were the winning bidder and were awarded the contract to administer the scheme.

No. Your RMSPS benefits continue to be underwritten by the government. The money to pay for your RMSPS benefits will continue to come from HM Treasury.

If you are returning forms received before 1 October please return these to the Royal Mail Group PSC even after 1 October. The PSC will ensure any relevant RMSPS information is passed to Capita to process.

If you started paying AVCs after April 2008 then you will have made contributions to a separate money purchase fund set up in your name. This fund will have been managed by Zurich Assurance, the scheme’s AVC provider. You could also have paid into a separate money purchase fund before April 2008 managed by either Equitable Life, Standard Life or Norwich Union whoever was managing the fund you paid into will have details of your fund value (if you left it invested with them when you left Royal Mail) and will send you an annual benefit statement each year. If you have lost touch with them, please contact us for information.

If you paid AVCs before April 2008 you may have joined Addplan. Addplan worked by allowing you to buy extra years of service in the RMPP scheme. If you took part in Addplan, any years you bought will be shown on your annual benefit statement. If you have any queries about Addplan, you should contact us.

Yes. This year your Current Value Statement will be issued by the Royal Mail Group PSC during September. You should contact them with any queries regarding your statement.

Yes. This year, your Benefit Illustration will be issued by the Royal Mail Group PSC in October. You should contact them with any queries regarding your illustration.

If you made additional contributions to AVC arrangements (e.g. Flexiplan or Bonusplan) these will continue to be administered by the Royal Mail Group PSC.

If you are in receipt of a RMSPS pension it will continue to be paid on the same day. The reference in your bank account statement will remain ‘RM-Stat Pension’.

Yes. Payments will continue to be made on the same date and in the same currency as per current arrangements.

NRA is the age at which you can normally take your pension without reduction. Any benefits you earned before 1 April 2010 have a NRA of 60. Benefits earned after 1 April 2010 have a NRA of 65. You can opt to take all your benefits at once, but any benefits taken before NRA will be reduced for early payment. Alternatively you can take only your benefits with a NRA of 60 at age 60 and take your NRA 65 benefits later so they are not reduced.

You may be able to take your benefits early without a reduction if you are suffering from ill health. You can find out more about this in our Guide to benefits. 

No. If you have already made an application then the Royal Mail Group PSC will continue to process your application. They will arrange for the application to be passed to Capita on 1 October. Capita will then contact you to finalise arrangements to start paying your pension.

You should continue to contact the Royal Mail Group PSC until 1 October. For applications made after 1 October you should contact Capita via the contact details contained in the introductory letter. If you are approaching your Normal Retirement Age 60 or Normal Retirement Age 65 retirement date you will be contacted automatically by the Royal Mail Group PSC before 1 October and by Capita after 1 October.