Pensions FAQ: special class or mental health officer?

Published: 21 February 2012

Each day this week Gerry O’Dwyer, RCN Senior Employment Relations Adviser, will be answering one of the five questions most frequently asked by members on pensions and the Government’s proposed changes to the NHS scheme.

Today’s question: what is special class or mental health officer status?

Gerry says:

Many of you will know that those with special class status have a normal pension age of 55. A significant number of this group will be aged 45 or over in April this year (2012), and this means that they would receive “full protection” under the Government’s proposals.

Special class status was awarded to a nurse who joined the scheme before 6 March 1995. To have qualified, you must not have had a break in your pensionable employment of five years or more. You must also still be employed in a nursing role and have not transferred to the 2008 section of the pension scheme.
Originally it only applied to female nurses; however men in qualifying posts can also now have special class status. Men in this group can retire at 55, although their special class benefits will only be based on their membership from May 1990. Any benefits for scheme membership before that date will have a normal pension age of 60, unless the member applies to take a reduction in these benefits. So if a man with special class status retires at 55, only the pension payments made after May 1990 are subject to a normal pension age of 55. Any payments linked to service before this date would be reduced if taken before 60.

Mental health officers (MHO) status is also considered a special class, with a normal pension age of 55. This status was also granted to scheme members before 6 March 1995 and to those who have spent either the whole or almost the whole of their NHS employment in direct care and treatment of mentally ill patients. For this group, each year of pensionable service they have after 20 years is “doubled up” so that after 30 years of pensionable service, they will have accrued 40 years worth of pension.

If you have left the NHS and deferred your benefits, you would no longer qualify for special class status. This would mean that the accrued benefits you have built up will have a default normal pension age of 60. In all schemes, there are limits to the length of membership that counts towards pension benefits, and those with special class status can only accrue 40 years of benefits by age 55.

Read more detail about special classes.

If you need to confirm whether you have special class status, please check with the pension administrator at your employer or it may be included in your pension documentation.

Other questions answered this week

What does normal pension age mean and how does it differ from the state pension age? 

RCN pension vote

RCN members only have until 4pm on Monday 27 February to vote on whether they want the RCN to accept or reject the Government's pension proposals.

Many members have already cast their votes but those who have not yet had their say can take part in the ballot by post, telephone or using the internet.

Read NHS pension proposals briefing for RCN members (PDF 432KB) [see how to access PDF files]
Visit the RCN’s pensions website