NHS Pension

Can I Pay Less Into the NHS Pension? There Is No 50/50

FP FrontlinePay Editorial
Updated 7 October 2026

Independent guidance — not affiliated with NHS England or DHSC

If you are searching for an NHS pension 50/50 option, or a way to pay half your contributions for half the pension, this page gives the short answer first and then what you can actually do. We checked NHSBSA's pages and the primary sources linked below, and say clearly where we could not confirm something.

Short answer

No. The NHS Pension Scheme has no 50/50 or reduced-rate section, so you cannot pay half and build half. That option belongs to the Local Government Pension Scheme. A 50:50 option for senior clinicians was proposed in a July 2019 government consultation and reported withdrawn that August. In the NHS scheme your rate is set by your tier on your actual annual pensionable pay. To pay less you can earn less pensionable pay (for example fewer hours), use partial retirement from 55, or opt out, which stops contributions and the pension you would have built. This is information, not advice.

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Is there a 50/50 option in the NHS Pension Scheme?

On the sources we could check, no. NHSBSA's page on the cost of being in the scheme sets out contribution tiers on actual annual pensionable pay, and its page on leaving or taking a break from the scheme lists opting out (form SD502), refunds (form RF12) and transferring out. Neither mentions a 50/50 or reduced-contribution section.

ℹWhat this does and does not prove

This is based on NHSBSA's England and Wales pages, plus a search for equivalent options in Scotland and Northern Ireland that found none. The NHS Pension Scheme (Scotland) is run by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency and the HSC Pension Scheme in Northern Ireland by HSC Pensions, so check with them if you are in those schemes. We will update this page if any scheme introduces one.

Where the idea comes from

  • The LGPS 50/50 section. The Local Government Pension Scheme lets members pay half the contribution in return for half the pension for a period. Many council pension funds explain it, which is why NHS-worded searches return those pages. See our NHS pension versus LGPS comparison.
  • A 2019 NHS proposal. On 22 July 2019 the Government opened a consultation on a 50:50 option for senior clinicians, letting them halve contributions in exchange for halving the rate of pension growth. Tax Journal reported on 28 August 2019 that the proposal was withdrawn and replaced by other measures. Unions had criticised it for not tackling the annual allowance taper.

How your NHS pension contribution is set

In England and Wales your rate depends on your actual annual pensionable pay, in six tiers from 5.2% to 12.5% for 2026/27, and the rate for your tier applies to all your pensionable pay. Scotland and Northern Ireland use their own tiers. Every table is on our NHS pension contribution rates 2026/27 page. A pay rise that crosses a tier boundary raises the rate on everything you earn, so check where you sit before agreeing extra pensionable hours or a pay change near a boundary.

Your real options to pay less, and what each costs

Option What changes What it costs you
Opt out Contributions stop from the first day of the next pay period after your employer receives form SD502. The employer contribution, the pension you would have built, and death in service and ill-health cover. See the opt-out calculator.
Refund of contributions Possible only if you meet NHSBSA's conditions, including under two years of membership. Apply on RF12. Your own contributions less tax, not the employer's. Usually the least beneficial option.
Work fewer hours Lower actual pay can mean a lower tier. Additional hours up to your whole-time equivalent are automatically pensionable since 1 April 2025. A smaller pension, because it is built from actual pay. See part-time NHS pension explained.
Partial retirement (from 55) Draw part of your pension while you reduce pensionable pay by at least 10% for at least 12 months. The part you draw may be reduced for early payment. See partial retirement explained.
Salary sacrifice schemes Sacrificing pay for a car, bike or other benefit can lower pensionable pay and so your contribution. Less pension is built each year it runs. Use the salary sacrifice pension impact calculator.

None of these is a way of paying half and keeping half. Each trades pension for pay or time, so look at both sides before choosing.

What opting out actually costs

On £32,000 of pensionable pay your contribution is 8.3%, which is £2,656 a year, but opting out adds only about £2,125 a year to take-home pay, because the contribution comes out of pay before income tax. In return you stop building about £593 a year of pension for life for each year you are out, and you give up the employer's contribution (NHSBSA says 14.38% from the employer plus 9.4% from NHS England in 2026/27). The calculator works out your own figures, including a three-year break.

NHS Pension Opt-Out Calculator

Your real extra take-home and the pension you give up.

Try it

Read the full rules in our is it worth opting out guide.

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If the reason is a pension tax charge

Some senior staff look at paying less because of the Annual Allowance. Opting out stops new growth but does not remove a charge for a year you were a member, and carry forward and Scheme Pays can reduce or spread it. Check with the Annual Allowance Calculator and read the Annual Allowance guide before deciding.

What to do next

  • ✓ Find your tier on the contribution rates page, using the table for your scheme
  • ✓ Run your figures through the opt-out calculator before you decide anything
  • ✓ Ask your employer's pensions team how your pay and any extra hours are treated
  • ✓ If it is about money pressure, ask your union or HR about help and speak to a free debt adviser
  • ✓ If it is about a tax charge, check carry forward and Scheme Pays first

NHS Pension Contribution Rates 2026/27

Every tier for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

NHS Pension Opt-Out Calculator

What you gain and give up by opting out.

Is It Worth Opting Out of the NHS Pension?

The rules on refunds, rejoining and cover.

Part-Time NHS Pension Explained

How part-time pay affects your pension.

NHS Partial Retirement Explained

Draw some pension while you cut your pay.

NHS Pension vs Local Government Pension Scheme

Where the 50/50 option actually exists.

Sources and how we checked

  • ✓ NHSBSA cost of being in the scheme and leaving or taking a break from the scheme pages (no 50/50 option listed)
  • ✓ gov.uk, 22 July 2019: consultation announcement describing the proposed 50:50 option for clinicians
  • ✓ Tax Journal, 28 August 2019: report that the 50:50 option was withdrawn and replaced
  • ✓ NHSBSA employer contribution rates 2026/27 (14.38% employer plus 9.4% NHS England)
  • ✓ We could not confirm the position for Scotland and Northern Ireland beyond searching their published pages, so check with SPPA or HSC Pensions
  • ✓ Independent guidance, not affiliated with NHS Pensions. Not financial advice

Frequently asked questions

Is there a 50/50 option in the NHS Pension Scheme? +
Not that we can find. NHSBSA's pages on the cost of being in the scheme and on leaving or taking a break from the scheme list contribution tiers, opting out, refunds and transfers, and do not mention a 50/50 or reduced-contribution section. A 50:50 option, halving contributions in return for halving pension growth, was proposed for senior clinicians in a government consultation announced on 22 July 2019, and Tax Journal reported on 28 August 2019 that it had been withdrawn and replaced by other proposals. Check your own scheme (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland) with its administrator before relying on this.
Which pension scheme has a 50/50 option? +
The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) has a 50/50 section, where members pay half the contribution and build half the pension, and many council pension funds publish guidance on it. It is not part of the NHS Pension Scheme, which is why searches for the NHS pension 50/50 option often return council pension pages. Our NHS pension versus LGPS guide compares the schemes.
Can I reduce my NHS pension contributions? +
Your rate is set by your tier, which depends on your actual annual pensionable pay, so you cannot choose a lower rate. You can pay less by earning less pensionable pay, for example by working fewer hours, which also builds less pension. Or you can opt out, which stops contributions and the pension you would have built. Both have costs, set out on this page.
Can I opt out of the NHS pension for a year and rejoin? +
You can opt out using form SD502 and rejoin later when you are eligible, but the months you were out do not count towards your pension and cannot be backdated. If you have under two years of membership you may be able to take a refund of your own contributions. Our opt-out calculator shows what a one, three or five year break would cost in pension for life.
How do I opt out of the NHS pension? +
NHSBSA says to complete the application to leave the NHS Pension Scheme, form SD502, and give it to your employer's payroll. If it is received before the end of your first pay period you are treated as never having been a member and any contributions are refunded by your employer. A refund of contributions is a separate application, form RF12, and NHSBSA says you might be eligible.
Will I get my NHS pension contributions back if I opt out? +
Only in some cases. NHSBSA's refund route needs, among other things, less than two years of qualifying membership, having left the scheme and not having transferred in other pension benefits. A refund is of your own contributions less tax, not the employer's share. With two years or more you keep a deferred pension instead.
Does working part time reduce my NHS pension contributions? +
Yes, because the tier is based on your actual annual pensionable pay, not whole-time equivalent pay. For example £32,000 sits in the 8.3% tier and contributes £2,656 a year, while 0.6 of that, £19,200, sits in the 6.5% tier and contributes £1,248. A lower contribution also means a smaller pension is built from that lower pay.
Can I pay less if I am struggling financially? +
NHSBSA's pages do not list a hardship reduction in contributions. Your options are those on this page, and opting out can feel tempting but costs the employer contribution and the pension you would have built. On £32,000 of pay, opting out adds only about £2,125 a year to take-home pay while you give up about £593 a year of pension for life for each year out. If money is tight, speak to your payroll or HR team, your union and a free debt adviser before deciding.
Is there a 50/50 option in the NHS Pension Scheme in Scotland or Northern Ireland? +
We have not found one. The Scottish and Northern Ireland schemes publish their own contribution tiers, shown on our contribution rates page, and the pages we checked list tiers and the usual ways of leaving, with no 50/50 section. Check with the Scottish Public Pensions Agency or HSC Pensions for your own scheme before relying on this.
Does opting out reduce an Annual Allowance tax charge? +
It stops new pension growth, so it can prevent a charge in later years, but it does not remove a charge for a year you were a member, and carry forward and Scheme Pays often reduce or spread the cost. Opting out only to avoid a charge usually costs more than it saves. Use the Annual Allowance Calculator to check your position first.

Budget day, 28 October: what it means for your NHS Pension

We'll email you on the day with what was announced and what it means for NHS Pension members. You also get the free PDF now.

Free. Independent, not affiliated with the NHS. Every email has an unsubscribe link. See our privacy policy.