PTM053360 - Annual allowance: pension input amounts: defined benefits arrangements: bridging pensions: prospective entitlement

Glossary PTM000001

Note 鈥� for tax year 2015-16 there are transitional rules for calculating pension input amounts. PTM058070 has more details.

Many registered pension schemes operate a provision under which a higher temporary pension (so an additional 鈥榖ridging鈥� pension) is paid for a few years after retirement (usually until the coming into payment of state pension). Typically, the temporary pension is payable to age 60 or 65.

The annual rate of pension (鈥楶E鈥�) to be used to value defined benefit rights is the higher starting amount that will come into payment at retirement. This means that the 鈥�16 x鈥� value factor applies to the temporary bridging pension as it would to a 鈥榳hole-life鈥� pension.

A similar situation can occur in relation to the lifetime allowance calculations but for that there may be a mitigation action: scheme rules often allow an individual to opt at retirement to exchange the temporary pension for a lower 鈥榳hole-life鈥� pension to which the 鈥�20 x鈥� factor is then applied.

In the context of the annual allowance, this mitigation is not usually available. In general scheme rules only allow members to opt to exchange a temporary pension when they reach retirement, not on a 鈥榩rospective鈥� basis as would be needed for the annual allowance not to take it into account - so the 鈥�16 x鈥� factor would apply to the temporary pension through all accrual years.

Example - regular accrual:

  • member has normal pension age of 60
  • part of the basic provision of the scheme at retirement is a bridging pension payable from normal pension age to age 65
  • the normal pension age rule specifies that the member鈥檚 benefit on retirement at normal pension age is a whole-life pension of service at normal pension age x 1/60ths of final pensionable salary at normal pension age and a bridging pension of service x 1/80ths x the Basic State Pension at normal pension age
  • at the close of the previous pension input period, the member had service of 30 years, final pensionable salary of 拢60,000 and the Basic State Pension is 拢5,000
  • the member stays in service and is a member throughout the pension input period and at the end of the pension input period final pensionable salary is 拢62,000 and Basic State Pension is 拢5,100
  • pension input amount
  • opening value:
    • step 1 - find annual rate of pension entitlement just before start of the pension input period for annual allowance purposes
    • 鈥楶B鈥� = [30/60 x 拢60,000] + [30/80 x 拢5,000] = 拢30,000 + 拢1,875 = 拢31,875
    • step 2 - multiply result by 16 (no special treatment arises from part of the pension being paid for a limited term
    • 拢31,875 x 16 = 拢510,000
    • step 3 - add on any separate lump sum entitlement
    • none so running total is 拢510,000
    • step 4 - increase amount for CPI (for the purpose of this example assume relevant CPI increase is 3%)
    • 拢510,000 x 1.03 = 拢525,300
  • closing value:
    • step 1 - find annual rate of pension entitlement at end of the pension input period for annual allowance purposes
    • 鈥楶E鈥� = [31/60 x 拢62,000] + [31/80 x 拢5,100] = 32,033.33 + 1,976.25 = 拢34,009.58
    • step 2 - multiply result by 16
    • 拢34,009.58 x 16 = 拢544,153.28
    • step 3 - add on any separate lump sum
    • none so running total is 拢544,153.28
  • if there are no other adjustments to the closing value, the pension input amount is 拢18,853.28 (拢544,153.28 - 拢525,300)
  • the part of this arising from the increased entitlement to the temporary pension is 拢720 (that is, [31/80 x 拢5,100] - [(30/80 x 拢5,000) + CPI])
  • this calculation could apply both before the member retires and also in the year in which the member takes his benefits (at normal pension age).