FAQ: Is it mandatory for GP locums to pension all NHS earnings?
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Contrary to common belief, GP locums are not required to pension all their NHS earnings. This is a frequently asked question at NASGP, and we’ve obtained exclusive clarification from the Technical Consultancy Team at NHS Business Services Authority (NHS Pensions).
As a locum practitioner within the NHS Scheme, you have the flexibility each month to decide whether to pension your locum work for each Employing Authority (EA). For instance, if you work for five EAs in April, you may choose to pension your work in three of them. In May, you could decide to pension your work in all five. It’s important to communicate this decision to the EA through your invoice and Form A.
If you invoice for your employee contribution, the EA is legally obligated to pay you the employer contribution from their own funds (NOT directly or indirectly from your pay), and you must pass it all to NHS Pensions through Form B. This entire process is integrated within LocumDeck.
Exclusive clarification from the Technical Consultancy Team, NHS Business Services Authority (NHS Pensions):
“The regulations state that ‘a Locum practitioner may apply to join this Section of the scheme by sending an application [Locum Form A and Form B] to the Employing Authority’. Members have 10 weeks to pension this work. If they do not submit the forms in time then this work cannot be pensioned. So in effect they do have a choice, if they choose not to pension the work they do at Practice A then they just have to let the practice manager know that they are not going to pension it so that the 14.3% is not included in the cash envelope.”
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