Irene 66

Irene, 66

...is thinking about retiring

I’ve been in the Civil Service for my entire working life, in classic, and I’m thinking about retiring. I’m not sure how I go about claiming my pension, and how much I’ll get? 

Is there a way to find out how long the whole thing will take, who I need to notify and when? Where can I find out more?

Mo 56

Mo, 56

...wants to retire at 60, and wants to start planning now

I’m in classic so I can retire at 60. My employer is offering a pre-retirement seminar, but I was wondering if there was anything else I could look into?  

I have some savings too, and I’d like to use them to add a bit to my pension. Is there a way I can see how much pension this could buy me? 

Emma 25

Emma 25

...wants to know if her family will be looked after when she dies

I’ve recently had my first child and it’s got me thinking about the future. I want to make sure that my loved ones are looked after when I’m gone. What do I need to think about with regards to my pension? 

Is there anywhere I can find out how the time off I had during my maternity leave will have affected my pension?

Jean 54

Jean 54

...is thinking about reducing her working hours

I’ve worked for DWP for 32 years. In that time, I’ve moved around a few departments, took some time off to have my two children and now I’m starting to think about taking things a little easier. I was thinking about going part-time but wasn’t sure about the effect it would have on my pension…

I'm due to move into alpha soon, does working part time have the same effect on the alpha pension I'll build up?

Martyn 23

Martyn 23

...has just joined alpha and wants to find out more

I joined the Civil Service last year. I’m in something called the ‘alpha’ scheme but I don't really know much about it.

I’ve heard my colleagues talking about their pension plans, buying EPA (whatever that means…)

I know my retirement's years away but what are the things I should be considering?

Janet 56

Janet 56

...wants to know more about the classic scheme

I’ve been a Civil Servant for 27 years. I’m in the classic scheme and will be coming up for retirement in five years’ time. It’s got me thinking that I need to get my affairs in order. Things like my partner and I have been together for 30 years but we're not married, what do I need to consider?

In classic, I know I get an automatic lump sum, is there a way I can find out how much I can increase the amount of lump sum that I can get?

Mick 60

Mick 60

...wants to know more about partial retirement

I’m in the premium scheme and have recently started thinking about partial retirement.

I just want to find out more about it initially so I can decide whether it’s the right choice for me but don’t know where to start… I'm not ready to fully retire yet!

If I decided to partially retire, how long would it take and how much notice do I need to give?

Dave 41

Dave 41

...wants more money for his retirement

I’ve heard about the Additional Voluntary Contributions that you can make so that I’ll have some extra money when I retire. Where can I find out more information so I can decide whether it’s the right thing for me?

I’m in alpha, is there anywhere I can look into the other options I have to increase my retirement pension?

Sylvie 49

Sylvie 49

...is thinking about buying some added pension

As I get older, I've started to think about getting my retirement plans in order. I want to make sure I can enjoy my free time after working for so long. I've heard that I can buy added pension but I'm not sure what it involves...

Where can I find out if, as an alpha member, I’m able to buy added pension?

Ivy 62

Ivy 62

...wants to find out about Pensions Increase

I’ve seen something Pensions Increase in my latest edition of Pension News. I just wanted to find out more about what these mean to me in future years?

Charlie 24

Charlie 24

...has just received his Pension Choices form

I’ve just received a form called ‘pensions choices’ and I’m not sure whether to pick partnership or alpha. Where can I get more information about the schemes?

What if I want to find out more about alpha or partnership?

Henry 42

Henry 42

...is interested in applying for a redundancy scheme

A voluntary exit scheme has recently been announced where I work. I’m not too sure of what I’d need to do if I was interested and the steps I’d need to follow. Where can I get some guidance?

Published:
30 November 2021
Last updated:
21 March 2024