Scottish Public Pensions Agency - NHS pension remedy process queries: FOI release

Information requested

1. Are there dedicated workers working through the backlog and are these separate to the forthcoming, weekly new retirees.

2. On the assumption that there are dedicated staff for making progress can I have approximate numbers of
(a) Staff set to this purpose
(b) Totality of outstanding retirees at the time of project commencement and totality of numbers outstanding
(c) Average rate of conclusions achieved by month or quarter since commencement of the remedy project
(d) Expected duration to conclude the totality of routine and overall retirees outstanding

3. How many retirees have died, or have a terminal prognosis without receiving a resolution to their personal “remedy” of pension?

4. How is the system organised that prioritises who/which cases are worked through and in what order?

5. What is the breakdown of percentages of keeping the legacy approach versus the Change - and in turn does this allow ….
5b) …..Options regarding a waiver to the rest of us outstanding - a Fast track that allows a click of a few buttons in relative terms of years service and amounts versus those who wish to have more information and who may as yet be undecided?

Following a request for clarification, you informed us that these queries are in relation to the NHS Scotland pension scheme.

Response

1) No, staff members work across Immediate Choice, Deferred Choice and Annual Benefit Statements and Remedial Service Statements (ABS-RSS)

2) (a) N/A as above
(b) At commencement of the Remedy project, there were a total of 37,787 RSS to be issued to NHS Scotland Scheme members. As of 14 April 2026, the current outstanding RSS to be issued is 26,587.
(c) The average rate of Immediate Choice RSS provided since commencement is 8.47% per quarter.
(d) Immediate Choice conclusion for Police, Firefighters and Teachers is 31 December 2026. Conclusion for NHS is summer 2028. The Deferred Choice (routine) conclusion is ongoing until the final Remedy eligible member retires.

3) The latest information is that since April 2025, approximately 208 NHS Scotland Scheme Remedy eligible pensioners in total have died before receiving an RSS. SPPA does not hold information on retirees who have received a terminal prognosis as their pension is already in payment, therefore this information is not readily available when it comes to calculating death benefits.

4) Those most likely to benefit from the Remedy are our highest priority. This includes those who retired on ill health grounds, for example. However, this does not mean they will necessarily be served first, as complexity is a necessary factor in how we progress cases. As we build capability to serve the highest priority cases, we unlock the ability to serve simpler cases during this process, so we issue those when we can.

5) (a) Of the Immediate Choice replies received up to 14 April 2026 from NHS Scotland Scheme members, the average percentages are: 67.68% have chosen to remain in the Legacy scheme and 12.28% have chosen to move to CARE. These percentages are based on the choices received compared to the RSS issued so far. We are still to receive choices to many of the RSS issued.
(b) SPPA is legally obliged to send RSS to all eligible members, and these RSS must include specific minimum requirements, so no expedited approach can be offered.

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