EPN742: Season 4 of the Civil Service Pensions podcast launches

Audience

• Pensions leads
• HR managers
• Communications business partners/Internal Communications

Actions

• To promote the release of the fourth season Civil Service Pensions Podcast to members (resources pack attached to this EPN)
• To encourage members to visit the Civil Service Pension Scheme website to find out more, listen to the podcast and share their views

Timing

Immediate

Summary

Civil Service Pensions has launched a new series of the scheme podcast. New episodes will be available every Thursday from 11 September on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify, Google and Apple podcasts.

Hosted by Emily Eccles and Rob Walker from MyCSP (the Scheme Administrator), the podcast aims to help members engage with their pension and the scheme via this channel.

Each episode is designed to bring everything about the scheme back to basics. These jargon-free conversations will help members get to grips with their pension and make more informed choices about their future.

This season will consist of 7 episodes.

Detail

Season 4 of the Civil Service Pensions Podcast has arrived, with the first new episode available to stream or download from all major podcast platforms (including Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts).

Following on from the previous three seasons, the new season brings 7 new episodes designed to help members become more informed and empowered when planning their financial future and retirement.

With expert guests and members of the scheme featured in every episode, hosts Rob Walker and Emily Eccles guide listeners through discussions about different aspects of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, bringing everything back to basics.

Whatever stage of life or career you’re at, there’s something for everyone.

Here’s what you can expect from this series:

• Retirement Living Standards: let’s talk numbers
  Cilla Christmas, Valuation and Strategic Review Manager for Civil Service Pensions returns to talk us through the Retirement Living Standards, originally created using research conducted by the Loughborough University. These standards are a great starting point when it comes to planning your financial future, setting out a “minimum”, “moderate” and “comfortable” standard of living. If you’ve ever wondered how much you might need per year in retirement, you’ll find this episode useful.
  
  
• Planning for retirement: how does the State Pension fit in?
  On his first podcast appearance, Joe McLaughlin from the Civil Service Pensions Training Team talks to us about the State Pension, how it works, and the vital role it can play in your retirement finances. We talk about how to track your State Pension as it builds up, how to give it a boost and things you’ll need to consider when you come to claim it, such as tax.
  
  
• Pension Increase (PI) explained
  Michelle Storer, Senior Training Consultant for Civil Service Pensions joins us to talk through what the Pension Increase is, how it works and who qualifies for it. We also discuss some frequently asked questions from members and some common misconceptions about this yearly increase.
  
  
• Are you thinking about retiring abroad?
  Some describe the idea of retiring abroad as “the ultimate dream”. But how does it work, practically speaking? Rob and Emily chat to MOJ’s Lara Muñiz-Fernández about her plans to retire abroad and the preparations she’s making. We’re also joined by Peter Spain, Head of Pensions Policy and Technical from Cabinet Office who sheds some light on the technicalities of retiring overseas, how payments work and the key things to consider if this is your goal.
  
  
• 2015 Remedy (McCloud) revisited
  Kevin Hughes, Policy expert from Cabinet Office, returns to the podcast to talk us through the latest position when it comes to 2015 Remedy (McCloud). What does retirement look like, post-implementation, and what to members need to do?
  
  
• Highlights of 2025
  In this episode, we talk to Mick Mulligan, Head of Engagement for Civil Service Pensions in Cabinet Office and the Training Team’s Cathryn Murray about their highlights of the year, including insights from this year's Civil Service Live, and common behaviour trends they see when it comes to the journey towards retirement.
  
  
• Redundancy and compensation: what does it mean for your pension?
  The prospect of redundancy can bring a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. Liliana Gonzalez from the Civil Service Pensions Training Team returns to the podcast to provide valuable information and clarity. She talks us through what redundancy might mean for your pension and how  the Civil Service Compensation Scheme works.

New episodes will be available every Thursday until 23 October 2025.

As with our previous seasons, we’re inviting feedback and suggestions, as well as any burning questions members want us to answer in future episodes.

To find out more, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/podcast

Contacts

If you have a question about the distribution of EPNs, or would like to receive them in a different format, please contact EPN@MyCSP.co.uk.

You can find electronic copies of the Employer Pension Guide, all current EPNs and forms in the Employer section of the Civil Service Pensions website.

This notice is for employers and should not be issued to scheme members.

Members can find information about their pension by visiting the scheme website.

Attachments

Employer pack - copy, signposting, links and resources