Capita and the NHS pension fiasco

Since introducing the new BACS reference number, Capita reported that it was now quicker and easier to allocate monies to individuals and update their pension record.

When submitting monies to Capita, please send using the agreed BACS reference number rather than sending a cheque.

The BACS reference details are in the GP locum section of the PCSE website, including all the details of where to send your forms. The bank details for sending monies have been temporarily removed from the website due to a security issue. I am liaising with NHSE to have the details visible on the website again.

For reassurance, the bank details have not changed and you can continue to use the details you have used for previous months.

Emailed forms

The Capita website states that ‘NHS England is currently seeking further clarification from the Pensions Agency with regard to the acceptance of emailed forms. We will provide an update if there is any change to the guidance provided above. In the meantime, we advise that you keep a copy of forms submitted via email.’

We raised this with NHSE, and advised that it would be ‘unacceptable to ask members to resubmit their forms in paper for the past year or even longer’.  NHSE assured us that this will not be the case and they will find a solution with NHS Pensions. NHS Pensions has subsequently confirmed that they will accept scanned forms via email. This is awaiting approval through NHSE’s own governance and assurance processes.

We will follow this up at the next meeting.

Unallocated money

Capita has completed working through unallocated monies, however some remain. We have been advised that monies that have not been identified to any individual will be held and ring fenced. When members of the scheme receive statements, it will be clearer if any monies are missing. We have had assurances again that these will not impact the individuals’ pension record.

We will continue to follow this up.

Confirmation payments that have been made where cheques have not been cashed will be honoured and backdated correctly

Cheques that have not been identified to an individual have been returned to banks, which in turn should be returned to the individual. The number of cheques is a relatively small number.

The GP will then need to resubmit (ideally via BACS). NHSE has assured us that these payments will be honoured and backdated correctly. The ten-week rule will not apply.

If you have an uncashed cheque, please contact your bank to see if the cheque has been returned, just in case the bank has not got in touch. Please then resubmit the form via email, with a cover letter and the payment ideally via BACS.

Currently there is no mechanism of receipt for:

• locum A and B forms and payment
• SOLO forms
• type 2 annual self-assessment form
• appraisers pension contributions (via Locum A and B forms or SOLO forms).

This is probably the biggest ongoing concern I hear from sessional GPs. It is illogical that we pay money into a pension scheme each month and do not receive any form of receipt that the correct amount has been entered for the correct month.

At the meeting on 9 March 2017, there was finally an acknowledgement from NHSE regarding the need for receipts. Capita will now provide receipts for locum A and B forms (as long as there is an email address on the locum B form) and shortly, they will also be providing receipts for SOLO Forms.

With regard to Type 2 Forms, please see below.

I have also asked for a summary of contributions for the year ending 31 March 2016, 2017 and next year, 31 March 2018. Please see below for details about April 2018 onwards. Capita has not committed to this yet, however we will continue to pursue this.

We will follow this up at the next meeting.

Pension records online

Capita is looking at a process of having a live system which would demonstrate monthly contributions. This is expected to go live in April 2018 and will be prospective not retrospective.

We have requested to be involved in this piece of work at an early stage.

Type 2 annual self-assessment form

• Many sessional GPs are unaware of the requirement to complete these forms.
• What happens to those that have not completed one?

NHSE and NHS Pensions have agreed to an amnesty. NHS Pensions will create a new form and allow individuals to submit this form back to 2009/10, when the requirement began.

We are still awaiting detail on how this is to be done. We have asked to be involved as we do not believe it’s as easy as they believe it to be. A simple reason being many GPs do not know if they are type 2 practitioners or not.

There is nothing you need to do at the moment. Once I have all the detail, I will update you with all you need to know.

Web page/Capita updates

Now there is a specific web page for locum GPs, we have requested a similar page be created for salaried GPs and one for the Capita bulletins. Capita has agreed to this request.

Capita will now share the provisional content so we can have input.

Locum A and B forms

As you may already know, the employers contribution for the NHS Pension Scheme has increased from 14.3% to 14.38% as of 1 April 2017.

For your reference, here are the forms – locum A and locum B.

Capita has stated that some individuals are not completing the locum A and B forms correctly.

Can we request that you please use your name as it is on the performers list and ensure you include your email address and NHS Pension SD number.

The 14.38% applies to all payments received after 1 April 2017 irrespective of when the work was done. Please ensure this is correct otherwise Capita will send your forms back.

Performers list

The GP trainees subcommittee has received several queries with regard to newly qualified GPs who were awaiting confirmation of their change in status on the NPL  (National Payment List) following their achievement of CCT. There is now a statement on the PCSE website which people can link to.

Hopefully this will avoid people losing out on work or delays to starting dates until the administrative process is completed.

We are still chasing NHSE on updating the performers list and providing a complete copy to individual LMCs in order to help engagement with sessional GPs.

Another one to follow up at the next meeting.

That is all for now. We will continue to meet with Capita and NHSE until we can get the issues sorted. We are hoping to meet again next month.

If you would like to get in touch please email sessionalGP@bma.org.uk

I will continue to provide updates.

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