NHS pension vs civil service: each scheme's own guide prints 1/54th a year for the NHS 2015 Scheme and 2.32% a year for civil service alpha.
The NHS Pension Scheme (2015 Scheme, England and Wales) and the Civil Service Pension Scheme's alpha section both pay a pension worked out from what you earn across your career, so they are easy to mix up. This page sets what each scheme publishes side by side, without a verdict. Weighing these schemes for your own situation is where an FCA-authorised adviser's free call-back may help, and the form on this page arranges one.
NHS pension vs civil service: the printed figures side by side
Everything in the table comes from the scheme's own member material, listed under Sources. The NHS column is the 2015 Scheme for England and Wales; the civil service column is alpha (the older classic, classic plus, premium and nuvos sections are not in this table).
| NHS Pension Scheme, 2015 Scheme (NHSBSA) | Civil service alpha (Civil Service Pensions) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pension earned each year | 1/54th of pensionable earnings | 2.32% of pensionable pay |
| Member contributions, 2026/27 | 5.2% to 12.5% in six tiers, set by actual annual pensionable pay | 4.6% to 8.05% in four bands, set by annual pensionable earnings |
| Normal pension age | State Pension age, or 65 if later | State Pension age, or 65 if later |
| Earliest early payment (see below on 2028) | Normal minimum pension age, currently 55, after leaving all NHS employment; reduced | Minimum pension age 55, with a reduction |
| Ill-health retirement | Two tiers; at least two years' membership | Two tiers (lower and upper); at least two years' qualifying service |
| Adult dependant's pension if you die in service | 33.75% of the notional tier 2 ill-health pension if death is before normal pension age (at least two years' membership) | Normally 37.5% of your enhanced pension |
Sources: NHSBSA, 2015 Members Guide (V13, 05.2024) and Cost of being in the Scheme, read 26 October 2026; Civil Service Pensions, alpha or partnership and contribution rates, read 26 October 2026.
How fast each pension builds: 1/54th against 2.32%
The NHS guide describes its scheme as "a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme" and says "the build up rate is 1/54th, so you earn a pension each year of 1/54th of your pensionable earnings". Its worked example takes £18,000 of earnings in a year and gets a pension for that year of £333, rounded down and given for illustration only.
Civil Service Pensions says of alpha: "You build up alpha pension at a rate of 2.32% of your pensionable pay each year", and that the pension is "adjusted in line with prices".
As a worked example from each scheme's printed build-up rate (our arithmetic, not a published figure): £18,000 of pensionable pay for one year earns £333.33 at 1/54th (the NHS guide rounds it down to £333) and £417.60 at alpha's 2.32%. That is one year's build-up, not a forecast. Each scheme sets its own definition of pensionable pay, and the contribution rates differ, so the comparison is not complete without them. The NHS guide gives its yearly revaluation as Treasury Orders "plus 1.5%", whereas the alpha page uses the "in line with prices" wording above. How the pension is worked out and projected for a real career is covered in the NHS pension calculator guide and how much civil service pension you will get.
What members pay: NHS tiers and civil service bands
NHSBSA says every member pays a percentage of pensionable pay each month, and that contributions "are based on your actual annual pensionable pay". The scheme's page gives these rates for the year from 1 April 2026, the date the amounts changed:
| Pensionable pay (NHS, from 1 April 2026) | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £13,259 | 5.2% |
| £13,260 to £28,854 | 6.5% |
| £28,855 to £35,155 | 8.3% |
| £35,156 to £52,778 | 9.8% |
| £52,779 to £67,668 | 10.7% |
| £67,669 and above | 12.5% |
The Civil Service Pension Scheme publishes one set of member rates for 2026/27 and says it applies to "the classic, classic plus, premium, nuvos and alpha pension schemes", so these are not specific to alpha:
| Annual pensionable earnings (civil service, 2026/27) | Rate |
|---|---|
| £0 to £36,199 | 4.6% |
| £36,200 to £56,000 | 5.45% |
| £56,001 to £150,000 | 7.35% |
| £150,001 and above | 8.05% |
NHSBSA says the pay ranges are reviewed each 1 April in line with the Consumer Price Index, except for the lowest tier; the civil service page shows its earlier-year thresholds alongside. The full detail, including what the employer pays, is on NHS pension rates and civil service pension rates.
At what age does each pension start without a reduction?
The two guides use almost the same words. NHSBSA: "In this Scheme, your normal pension age is the same as your State Pension Age or age 65, if that is later." Civil Service Pensions gives alpha's normal pension age as the same State Pension age, or 65 if later. Both allow earlier payment with a reduction. The NHS guide's floor is the normal minimum pension age, currently 55, after two years in the Scheme and once all NHS employment has ended. The alpha page gives a minimum pension age of 55, with benefits reduced to take account of early payment. NHSBSA also describes a contract to buy out some of that reduction, which is covered in taking the NHS pension early; the civil service equivalent is in civil service early retirement.
That 55 is the current figure. Under Finance Act 2004 s279 the normal minimum pension age becomes 57 on 6 April 2028 for all but uniformed services schemes, a rise NHSBSA's help article KA-04626 also flags. HMRC (PTM062205) says keeping a protected age below 57 mainly depends on scheme rules that, as at 4 November 2021, gave an unqualified right to take benefits earlier. Ask an adviser with FCA authorisation, through this page's form, whether that reaches your own pension; the call costs nothing.
Ill-health retirement in each scheme
NHSBSA's guide says: "If you have at least two years' membership and are too ill to work in your present job you may be able to retire early and take your pension benefits." It sets out two tiers. Tier 1 is for being unable to do your current job because of permanent ill health, with the pension already earned paid without reduction. Tier 2 is for being unable to carry out regular employment of like duration up to normal pension age, and adds a "tier 2 addition" that the guide describes as a pro rata enhancement based on one half of the prospective pension to normal pension age.
Civil service alpha also has two tiers. The scheme's ill-health page says you need at least two years in the scheme and that the Scheme Medical Adviser must decide your health permanently prevents you from doing your current job or any other similar role. The lower tier is "payable if you are permanently incapable of doing your own job or a similar role", and the upper tier is "payable if you are permanently incapable of working in any kind of employment". Lower-tier pension is paid without early-payment reduction, though some recently bought added pension or a recent transfer-in may be preserved instead; the upper tier adds an enhancement based on your average yearly build-up and the years remaining to normal pension age. Applications run through the employer in both schemes. The step-by-step process is in NHS ill-health retirement and civil service ill-health retirement.
Death in service and benefits for your family
NHSBSA's 2015 guide says the scheme provides lump sum and pension benefits to eligible dependants if you die. For a member who dies while in pensionable membership its table gives a lump sum that is the higher of two measures, the first being "2 x the relevant earnings in the last 12 months of pensionable service". An adult dependant's pension is payable for life to an eligible spouse, civil partner or qualifying Scheme partner, and, for a member with at least two years' membership, the table gives it as 33.75% of the notional tier 2 ill-health pension (death before normal pension age) or of the notional age pension (after it), notional meaning the amount payable at the date of death; children's pensions are payable up to age 23 and may continue if the child cannot earn a living because of a condition that existed at the member's retirement and at death.
For alpha, the scheme's death-in-service page says the lump sum is the higher of two times final pay or five times the pension built up, less certain amounts already paid or due, and is paid at the Scheme Manager's discretion, normally to the person or organisation you nominated. An adult dependant "normally receives 37.5% of your enhanced pension"; where there is an adult dependant's pension, each child receives 30% of your pension, with a 60% total where there are more than two children. For a view that fits your own pay and family, the quick form here books a free ring from an adviser (FCA-authorised).
These percentages are not interchangeable: 33.75% in the NHS table and 37.5% in the alpha page apply to different base pensions, each defined in its own scheme's document. How each scheme pays out after a death is on what happens to an NHS pension when you die and civil service pension on death.
Which scheme and section are you actually in?
The table above covers the NHS 2015 Scheme and civil service alpha only. NHS staff who kept protection may still be in the 1995/2008 sections; older civil servants may be in classic, premium or nuvos. The NHS guide used here is for England and Wales; NHS pension in Scotland covers the other nations. To tell which NHS section you are in, see which NHS pension scheme am I in; for the civil service sections, which civil service pension scheme is best. Whether either is "worth it" is for the separate guides is the NHS pension worth it and is the civil service pension good. Unsure which section you are in? Leave your number with the quick form here; an adviser who holds FCA authorisation rings you back, at no charge.
NHS pension and civil service pension questions
Is the civil service pension better than the NHS pension?
There is no single answer, as the two schemes print different build-up rates, different contribution bands and differently defined family benefits, which is why the rest of this page sets them out by item. How the differences matter depends on pay, length of service and family circumstances.
Is the age for an unreduced pension the same in both schemes?
Yes on this point: both guides tie the age at which the pension is paid in full to your State Pension age, with 65 as the floor if your State Pension age is lower. You can check your own State Pension age on the GOV.UK State Pension age calculator.
Can I move my pension from the NHS to the civil service?
Into the NHS, the 2015 guide describes a Club transfer from another public sector career average scheme, with extra time limits. For the other direction, ask Civil Service Pensions before relying on a move. The NHS side is set out in transferring a pension into the NHS scheme.
Which scheme asks members to pay more?
On the 2026/27 tables above, NHS rates run from 5.2% to 12.5% and civil service rates from 4.6% to 8.05%. The rate depends on your pay band in each case, and the two schemes' pay bands start at different levels.
Where can I check my own scheme's figures?
NHSBSA and Civil Service Pensions both publish the pages listed under Sources, and each will answer questions about your own record.
Sources
- NHSBSA, 2015 NHS Pension Scheme guide for members (V13, 05.2024)
- NHSBSA, Cost of being in the Scheme, read 26 October 2026
- Civil Service Pensions, alpha or partnership, read 26 October 2026
- Civil Service Pensions, contribution rates, read 26 October 2026
- Civil Service Pensions, alpha: ill-health retirement, read 26 October 2026
- Civil Service Pensions, alpha: death while you are in service, read 26 October 2026
- Finance Act 2004, section 279 (legislation.gov.uk), read 26 October 2026
- HMRC, PTM062205: protected pension age, read 26 October 2026
- NHSBSA, When can I retire? (KA-04626), read 26 October 2026