Powered by Lexis+®
Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related Glossary Terms

CASE STUDY

“While we began looking at LexisNexis products primarily for cost saving, it quickly became more about customer service, ease of onboarding, ongoing training and breadth of resources available.”

Co-Op

Access all documents on Normal retirement date

Normal retirement date meaning

What does Normal retirement date mean?
Normal retirement date (NRD) is the scheme‑specific date, typically a member’s birthday (historically often 60 or 65), when an occupational pension scheme expects benefits to come into payment without actuarial reduction, as set by the scheme rules. It is a descriptive pensions term; UK legislation more commonly uses normal pension age (scheme rules concept) and the tax concept of normal minimum pension age (55, rising to 57 from April 2028). Key features and use: - Defined in the scheme rules and used to calculate defined benefit (DB) accrual, revaluation, and any early or late retirement factors; in defined contribution (DC) schemes it often serves as an administrative/target date. - Early retirement before NRD usually requires trustee/employer consent and/or reduction; late retirement after NRD may attract uplift. - NRD does not itself create a compulsory retirement age for employment law purposes; any employer‑justified retirement age must satisfy equality law. Across England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland the concept is consistent. In Ireland, the equivalent “normal retirement age/date” is also set by scheme rules; for Revenue‑approved schemes it is typically between 60 and 70 (subject to limited exceptions). Following Barber, schemes were required to equalise retirement ages between men and women.
Speed up all aspects of your legal work with tools that help you to work faster and smarter. Win cases, close deals and grow your business–all whilst saving time and reducing risk.

View the related Checklists about Normal retirement date

CHECKLISTS
UK registered pension schemes: checklist on NMPA 57 increase, 2028 protected pension age (unqualified right), pre‑55 protection, block transfers, and entitlement/retirement conditions

FORTHCOMING DEVELOPMENT: Section 10 of the Finance Act 2022 will raise the normal minimum pension age (NMPA) from 55 to 57 on 6 April 2028, except for members of the public service pension schemes for firefighters, police and the armed forces. The Finance Act 2022 will also permit members of registered pension schemes to take benefits before 57 if, on or before 4 November 2021, they met certain conditions: they already had an ‘unqualified right’ to take benefits; or they were in the course of a substantive transfer to a scheme providing an unqualified right to a protected pension age below 57 on or before that date. To rely on this new 2028 protection, the scheme’s rules must have included, as at 11 February 2021, an unqualified right to access scheme benefits before age 57. For further information, see Practice Note: Increasing the normal minimum pension age (NMPA) to 57—pensions impact...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related News about Normal retirement date

NEWS
Deputy Pensions Ombudsman: age-60 unreduced entitlement fixed NPA; preservation rules required actuarial uplift at 62 for deferred member, overriding scheme’s age-65 late-retirement uplift rule

Summary The Deputy Pensions Ombudsman upheld a complaint concerning the settlement of an enhanced early retirement pension. Because the member was entitled to take an unreduced pension without consent at age 60, a late‑retirement uplift had to be applied to benefits taken at age 62 in order to satisfy the preservation requirements, and those requirements trumped the Scheme’s rules. The determination serves as a clear reminder that pension preservation legislation is overriding and therefore takes precedence over any conflicting scheme provisions. What were the facts? Professor N was a deferred member of the TPS Benefits Scheme (the Scheme). Having transferred his benefits across from a government scheme, he held special rights within the Scheme and could draw an unreduced pension at 60 without needing consent. Under Rule 6.3, a late retirement uplift was provided where a member had reached the normal retirement date (age 65) whilst remaining in employment and choosing to defer their pension. The Scheme sent Professor N numerous communications stating that he...

Read More Right Arrow
NEWS
Deputy Pensions Ombudsman: delay in LGPS redundancy illustration was maladministration; member unreasonable rejecting alternative role; no financial loss; HR to pay £500 for distress (Mrs S, CAS-56106-J4K1)

Original news Mrs S (CAS-56106-J4K1)– 23 October 2024.. Summary The Deputy Pensions Ombudsman has upheld the complaint only in part, in relation to a delay in issuing a retirement illustration arising from the member’s redundancy. There was no financial loss to the complainant. She ought not to have declined an alternative role before seeing the retirement figures and fully considering them. Even so, the lag in sending the illustration amounted to maladministration and caused distress. The case underlines the need for schemes to provide information promptly to members, especially where significant decisions are in play and being considered. What were the facts? Mrs S was a member of the East Sussex Pension Fund within the Local Government Pension Scheme (the Scheme). The Scheme was administered by Swale Academies Trust (SAT). On redundancy, the Scheme paid an unreduced pension, but it did not augment pensionable service to normal retirement date...

Read More Right Arrow
NEWS
UK Pensions Ombudsman: retrospective pre-Barber equalisation of normal retirement date (NRD) to 65 upheld under scheme powers; Pensions Act 1995 s67 did not apply (Mrs E, CAS-38639-F6P7)

Pensions Ombudsman determination: Mrs E (CAS-38639-F6P7)—29 April 2024 What was the background to the Pensions Ombudsman’s decision? Mrs E was employed by Avis Budget Group (the employer) from 18 August 1986 until her redundancy on 21 December 1992. During this period, the applicant belonged to the final salary section of the Avis UK Pension Plan (the Plan), which was governed by the Avis UK Pension Plan Trust Deed and Rules (the Rules). Avis Pension Trustee Limited served as trustee of the Plan (the trustee). On 18 May 1990, the CJEU handed down its judgment in Barber v Guardian Royal Exchange [1990] 2 All ER 660. It determined that, because pension benefits fell within the scope of Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome (renamed the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), occupational pension schemes had to equalise the NRD for male and female members in respect of pensionable service after 18 May 1990. The CJEU did not, however, require NRD equalisation to be applied retrospectively for...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related Practice Notes about Normal retirement date

PRACTICE NOTES
Occupational pension schemes: preservation for early leavers—qualifying service, calculations (including uniform accrual), disclosure, alternatives and penalties; effect of the normal minimum pension age rising to 57 in 2028

FORTHCOMING DEVELOPMENT : Section 10 of the Finance Act 2022 will raise the normal minimum pension age (NMPA) from 55 to 57 on 6 April 2028, excluding members of the firefighters, police and armed forces public service pension schemes. The same Act will additionally permit members of registered pension schemes to access benefits before age 57 where, on or before 4 November 2021, either of the following applied: they already held an unqualified right to take benefits from that scheme; or they were part-way through a substantive transfer to a scheme conferring an unqualified right to a protected pension age below 57 on or before 4 November 2021. These conditions preserve access to a protected pension age of under 57 where satisfied by that date. To rely on this new 2028 protection, the scheme’s rules must, as at 11 February 2021, have provided an unqualified right to draw scheme benefits before reaching 57. For more details, see Practice Note: Increasing the normal...

Read More Right Arrow
PRACTICE NOTES
Reformed NHS Pension Scheme 2015 (England and Wales): statutory framework, governance and funding, contributions, CARE benefits, McCloud remedy, membership, survivor benefits, flexible retirement, transfers, outsourcing and GMP indexation

What is the National Health Service Pension Scheme? The NHSPS is an unfunded public service occupational pension that delivers salary‑related, defined benefit (DB) retirement provision for health service staff. The reformed NHSPS (often termed the ‘2015 Scheme’) began on 1 April 2015 as a career average revalued earnings (CARE) arrangement. New starters since that date have joined this scheme, which is the focus of this Practice Note. The legacy NHSPS (the ‘1995/2008 Scheme’) consists of two separate final salary sections—the 1995 Section and the 2008 Section—both closed to future accrual, while preserving a final salary link within that scheme. For further details, see Practice Note: The legacy National Health Service Pension Scheme. There are distinct schemes in Scotland and Northern Ireland, which are not covered by this Practice Note. When the reformed NHSPS opened, the government acted to close the 1995 and 2008 Sections to future accrual, subject to: ...

Read More Right Arrow
PRACTICE NOTES
Flexible retirement in registered occupational pension schemes: age discrimination, in-service pensions, accrual beyond 65, default retirement age repeal, life cover, auto-enrolment and transitional protections

This practice note chiefly concerns registered occupational pension schemes One outcome of recent pensions legislation reforms, including the introduction of anti‑age discrimination legislation (for further information, see Practice Note: Age discrimination for pension lawyers), has been to permit a new and wider flexibility in how members of registered pension schemes can accrue benefits and ultimately receive them from such arrangements. In particular, the past few years have witnessed the rise of the concept of ‘flexible retirement’ as a recognised approach. Concept of flexible retirement Broadly, flexible retirement captures the ability of members to: begin taking benefits from registered pension schemes whilst remaining in active service with the sponsoring employer of their pension arrangements; and continue to build up benefits, if they so choose, after normal pension date (typically age 65) and in ways that comply with the age discrimination legislation Legislative framework Since A‑Day (on 6 April 2006), registered pension schemes have not been required to retain a normal...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related Precedents about Normal retirement date

PRECEDENTS
Articles precedent: PE/VC leaver provisions for compulsory share transfers, Investor Direction Sale Notices, Good/Bad Leaver pricing and Fair Value determined by independent expert

Insert the following as new definitions (if not already included) in the articles of association of the relevant company: Definitions include: Bad Leaver; Good Leaver (loss of subsidiary status, death, Investor‑assessed incapacity, or retirement at normal age); Garden Leave; Employee Trust (s.86 IHTA 1984); Fair Value (Art 1.6); Family Member/Trust; Financing Documents; Independent Expert; Issue Price; Leaver and related terms. Insert the following as a new article in the company’s articles of association: 1 Leavers Applies to Leavers and Leaver’s Shares. Within one year of Leaving Date Investor may require the Company to issue a Sale Notice offering Shares to recipients (including the Company/Employee Trust). The Leaver must complete transfer at the Sale Price within five Business Days. On default the Company may execute and register transfers or cancel its purchase; once effected it is final. Good Leavers receive Fair Value; Bad Leavers the lower of Issue/acquisition price and Fair Value. Fair Value is agreed with Investor Consent within 10 Business Days or determined by an Independent...

Read More Right Arrow