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S2P meaning

What does S2P mean?
In practice, S2P means the state second pension, the statutory additional state pension that replaced SERPS from 6 April 2002 and provided earnings‑related accruals (with enhancements for low and moderate earners). It is defined in legislation: principally the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 as amended by the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000, with parallel Northern Ireland provisions. Accrual under S2P ended on 6 April 2016 when the single‑tier “new State Pension” began under the Pensions Act 2014 (and the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015). Pre‑2016 S2P rights remain and are used to calculate an individual’s “starting amount” for the new State Pension; any excess above the full rate is paid as a “protected payment”. S2P interacted with contracting‑out: rebates for money purchase contracting‑out ended in 2012 and for salary‑related schemes in 2016, which can affect historic liabilities and state pension outcomes. Usage and legal effect are consistent across England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland does not have SERPS/S2P; its state pension system is separate. For legal practitioners, S2P is relevant to pensions law advice, state pension forecasts, historic rights in financial remedies, and employment/pensions due diligence.
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View the related Practice Notes about S2P

PRACTICE NOTES
Abolition of money purchase (DC) contracting-out from 6 April 2012: protected rights removal, scheme rule changes, underpins, transfers and disclosure obligations

ARCHIVED: This archived Practice Note centres on the abolition of contracting-out on a money purchase (or protected rights) basis, taking effect from 6 April 2012. It is not maintained and remains archived. For general information concerning the meaning of contracting-out, see the Practice Note entitled: What does ‘contracting-out’ mean for pension lawyers? Contracting-out on a money purchase basis before 6 April 2012 Contracting-out was the route by which an individual (whether employed or self-employed) could choose to waive accrual of the part of the State pension which, before 6 April 2016, was called the additional State pension (or Second State Pension (S2P)). Contracting-out on a money purchase basis (also known as DC contracting-out) first became possible in April 1988. A money purchase form of contracting-out required the relevant contracted-out pension scheme to grant members ‘protected rights’ in lieu of the state benefits forgone as a consequence of contracting-out. Schemes contracted-out on a money purchase basis Before 6 April 2012, protected rights could be provided through the...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK State Pensions: Basic, SERPS/S2P, Graduated and New State Pension: SPA changes, entitlement, qualifying years, NI credits, contracting-out, deferral, overseas uprating and Brexit

Brexit impact The UK ceased to be an EU Member State on exit day, 31 January 2020. Under the Withdrawal Agreement, the state pension and benefit rights of UK nationals residing in the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland are protected. See: Benefits and pensions for UK nationals in the EU, EEA or Switzerland. Likewise, information on the entitlements of EEA and Swiss citizens to UK benefits and state pensions is set out at: Benefits and pensions for EEA and Swiss citizens in the UK. State pensions A state retirement pension depends on an individual’s National Insurance (NI) contribution record and may consist of up to three elements: the basic old age pension the State Second Pension (S2P—formerly the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme, SERPS) the graduated pension Payments are generally made gross, with tax collected through Pay As You Earn (PAYE) against a person’s other income, such as an occupational or private pension. Income tax can also...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Pensions glossary for family and matrimonial finance lawyers: schemes, tax reliefs, state pension, auto-enrolment, offsetting, PPF, valuation, drawdown and post-2024 lifetime allowance changes

A-day 'A-day' is the widely used term for the broad pension tax 'simplification' reforms that began on 6 April 2006. The changes covered: how much pension contribution was allowed, the kinds of schemes an individual could invest in, the sums that could be taken (and when), and the choices available for any remaining fund. A-day also introduced the annual allowance and the (now abolished) lifetime allowance. See: Annual allowance and Lifetime allowance. AFPS AFPS: Armed forces pension scheme; see Practice Note: Public sector pensions and family proceedings. Accrual rate The speed at which pension benefits build as pensionable service is completed in a final salary scheme, eg 1/60 for each year of pensionable service. Accrued benefits The benefits earned in respect of service up to a specified date. Added years Extra pension provided by adding further years of pensionable service in a salary-related scheme. Such additional years are secured via transfer payments or through additional voluntary contributions/augmentation...

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