Two common examples of ‘final pensionable salary’ would be:
- your last year’s pensionable earnings or
- an average of your last 3 years pensionable salary.
An example of calculating pension benefits in a final salary defined benefit scheme for a preserved member:
Jennifer Grant is a preserved member of her pension scheme. She changed employer and ceased to be an active member of the pension scheme in January, 2004. She will receive a pension from her former employer’s final salary scheme at her normal pension age, 65. She was a member of the scheme for 20 years and her final pensionable salary when she left in January 2004 (which is what her pension is based upon) was £30,000 p.a. She earned a pension equal to 1/60th of her final pensionable salary for each year she was in pensionable service (the ‘accrual rate’).
Pensionable Service, 20 years
Final Pensionable Salary, £30,000
‘Accrual rate’, 1/60th
Her preserved pension at the date she left the scheme in January 2004 was: 20 years x £30,000
60
= £10,000 p.a.
Her preserved pension will receive increases to it (called ‘revaluation’), between the period that she left the scheme in January, 2004 and her 65th birthday (her normal pension age).
Note, that in a final salary scheme your pensionable service is not necessarily the same as the length of time you were employed by your employer. See our Quicknote, What counted towards pensionable service?
What is an accrual rate?
The ‘accrual rate’ is the rate at which you built up pension benefits whilst you were an active member of the pension scheme.
It is most commonly expressed as a fraction, such as 1/30th, 1/60th, 1/80th, 1/120th etc. The lower the bottom number, the better the pension benefit you will receive for an equivalent amount of pensionable service e.g.
Example 1, using a 1/60th ‘accrual rate’
Pensionable Service, 20 years
Final Pensionable Salary, £30,000
‘Accrual rate’, 1/60th
Pension: 20 years x £30,000
60
= £10,000 p.a.
Example 2: using a 1/80th ‘accrual rate’
Pensionable Service, 20 years
Final Pensionable Salary, £30,000
‘Accrual rate’, 1/80th
Pension: 20 years x £30,000
80
= £7,500 p.a.
An accrual rate can sometimes be expressed as a percentage e.g., 1.25% (which is simply another way of saying 1/80th in this example). So, in a final salary scheme for example, you may accrue 1.25% of your final pensionable salary for each year of pensionable service.
Advantages of a final salary scheme
A final salary scheme links your pension benefits to your pensionable earnings at the time you ceased to be an active member.
A final salary scheme also provides members with protection from ‘investment risk’ and ‘mortality risk’ as it is the sponsoring employer (or taxpayer in respect of some Public Sector schemes) who shoulders this risk. For more details on these and other risks, see our Factsheet, Security and Risk.
In a final salary scheme, the sponsoring employer pays the lion’s share of the cost of providing benefits.
Final salary pension schemes fall within the scope of The Pensions Regulator, so your scheme is monitored by a regulatory body.
Disadvantage of a final salary scheme
It is not true that final salary schemes provide a guaranteed retirement pension. The pension benefit paid will depend upon many factors, with the most important being the scheme’s ability to pay benefits to members as they fall due. If the employer’s business fails, it is likely that benefits will be reduced for some, if not all members (although Public Sector schemes are different in this respect). For further information on this, please refer to our Module, How secure is my pension?
Many employers have closed their final salary schemes, some just to new members, others having completely closed their scheme (so that there are no active members). Closing a scheme can cause employer costs to rise, as there is no ‘new’ money coming in from active members, and the increasing life expectancy of the remaining members (mortality risk) is one of the key problems pension schemes and employers have faced in recent years.
Burdensome and (some say) excessive legislation and regulation has further increased costs and placed greater financial pressures on sponsoring employers.
When can I get my pension benefits?
Benefits will normally be payable to you when you reach your scheme’s normal pension age.
Depending upon the rules of your scheme (not all schemes allow these alternatives), you may also be entitled to receive benefits at other dates such as:
- Early retirement
- Retirement due to ill-health
- Terminal illness
- Late retirement (where you choose to work beyond normal pension age).
What are my benefits worth?
You know what your preserved pension benefits were when you left your pension scheme as these should have been spelled out in your benefit statement given to you shortly after leaving.
To estimate what your benefits will be worth at retirement will depend upon a number of factors, not least of which is the date you left your pensionable service. Successive Governments have introduced legislation which requires pension schemes to increase preserved pensions between the date of leaving and retirement. This is called ‘revaluation’. The level of increases depend upon when you left your pension scheme.
The ‘value’ of the benefits depends upon other factors which are personal to you (such as the inclusion of dependents’ benefits, pension increases after retirement, etc).
Are my benefits secure?
They are only as secure as the funds which have been set aside to pay for the benefits, and the employer’s willingness and ability to continue to support the scheme.
In the event of the employer going into receivership, if the scheme does not have sufficient funds to pay all benefits it is possible that the scheme might qualify to join the Pension Protection Fund which would provide a level of ‘compensation’ (but might still mean a reduction in your benefits). There are some schemes that don’t qualify for the Pension Protection Fund, such as Public Sector schemes. For further information on this, please refer to our Module, How secure is my pension?
After you retire, your benefits will be more secure.
Can my benefits be changed?
Any changes in pensions’ legislation might mean that the scheme has to change.
Otherwise, there are legal requirements that certain changes can only be made after consulting some classes of members. All benefits you have already earned cannot be changed (unless your scheme is wound up). Any improvements which don’t involve you in a higher cost would not require your consent. You would however be told of any change.
What rights do I have as a member to ensure the scheme is run properly?
Any member can seek election to become a Trustee of their pension scheme, where there is a Board of Trustees. A Trustee is responsible for ensuring the scheme operates according to all the scheme rules.
If you are unhappy about any aspect of the scheme contact the Trustees, and if they do not satisfy you having formally pursued the Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure, you can contact The Pensions Ombudsman or The Pensions Regulator depending on your problem. Also, see our list of Useful Contacts.
Summary & Key Points
When making enquiries about your pension benefit it is very important that you make it clear that you are a preserved member of the scheme rather than an active member or pensioner member. Active, preserved and pensioner are different classes of membership of a pension scheme and any definitions and paragraphs contained within your Scheme Rules or scheme literature relating to any benefit may differ considerably between these categories.
For each pension benefit you need to consider the following items:
- Is your pension scheme a defined benefit pension scheme? Is it a ‘final salary’ type scheme?
- How much of your earnings, including any bonuses, overtime, allowances and benefits in kind, went towards your pensionable earnings?
- What is the formula or ‘accrual rate’ used in calculating your pension benefit? Did this change at any time during your membership of the pension scheme?
- What pension benefits are provided by your pension scheme? Pension, lump sum, death benefits, ill-health benefits, early payment, pension increases?
- If spouse’s, civil partner’s pensions are payable, will these cease on remarriage?
- Keep informed. Your scheme may modify benefits and Rules. Legislation may change. Your circumstances may alter.
- Rules differ from scheme to scheme and are wide and varied in content. Don’t assume that what applies to one of your pension schemes will necessarily apply to others that you may have.
- HMRC impose rules which registered pension schemes must conform to.
People seldom have identical pensions and you should avoid drawing comparisons with colleagues whose circumstances may at first appear the same but could emerge as having significant differences.
This Factsheet forms part of our Module Types of Pension Scheme and should be read alongside the other Factsheets and Quicknotes in the series.
This is not an authoritative document. Seek professional advice from an appropriately experienced and qualified adviser.
What is a final salary scheme v3.1 - Preserved
Last updated 12/01/2007
