Scheme Preset

Select your pension scheme

Fully configurable — only enable the features your scheme uses.

Selecting a preset fills fields with typical values. All fields remain editable. Optional features (early retirement, state pension offset, CARE revaluation) are only enabled when your scheme uses them — toggle them individually below.

Personal Details

Current Salary

£36,000

Projected Retirement Salary

At 2.8% over 37 yrs

Annual Salary Growth

2.8%UK Rates · Current

Scheme Configuration

I have pre-reform service (Final Salary → Career Average switch)

Check if you were in a Final Salary scheme before the 2014/15 public sector reforms and switched to Career Average (CARE).

Service Years

Final Salary Years (Pre-Reform)

Years of service under the Final Salary section

Career Average Years (Post-Reform, Accrued)

Years of service already accrued under the CARE section

Planned Additional Years (Future Service)

Years you plan to complete before retirement (max 37 yrs)

Total Projected Service Years

0.0years

Accrual Rates

Final Salary Accrual Rate

Common: 1/80th (NHS 1995), 1/60th (LGPS pre-2014, RPS, Teachers), 1/57th (NHS 2008)

Career Average Accrual Rate

Common: 1/57th (NHS 2015, Teachers), 1/54th (NHS 2015 uplifted), 1/49th (LGPS post-2014), 1/43rd (Civil Service Alpha)

Lump Sum Options

Lump Sum Type

Automatic Lump SumCommutation (Trade Pension for Cash)

Scheme provides an automatic lump sum at retirement (e.g. NHS 1995, RPS60 — typically 3× pension).

Automatic Lump Sum Factor

Typical: 3.0 (3× annual pension). NHS 1995: 3×. RPS60: 3×.

Optional Scheme Features

The features below only apply to certain DB schemes. Enable only the ones your scheme uses — leaving them off means they have no effect on calculations.

Early Retirement (Actuarial Reduction)Optional

My scheme reduces the pension when taken before the Normal Pension Age. Typical: NHS/LGPS ~5%/yr, RPS ~4%/yr, private sector 3–6%/yr.

Late Retirement EnhancementOptional

My scheme increases the pension if taken after the Normal Pension Age. Many public sector schemes do not offer this — check your scheme rules.

State Pension Integration / OffsetOptional

My scheme subtracts a percentage of the State Pension from pensionable pay before calculating the DB pension. Used by RPS65 (75% of basic SP), RPS60 (150%), and some contracted-out private schemes.

Custom CARE Revaluation RateOptional

Override the default CPI revaluation for accrued CARE benefits. Needed for schemes like Teachers' (CPI+1.6%) or any scheme with a non-standard revaluation formula.

Using CPI from UK Rates: 2.5% (Current scenario)

Your DB Pension Projection

Projected Annual Pension

£0

£0/month

Years to retirement37

Total service years0.0 yrs

Expected salary at retirement£100,011

Salary growth (UK Rates)2.8% p.a.

CARE revaluation rate2.50% p.a.

Pension Breakdown

Enter your service years above to see a breakdown

Tax-Free Lump Sum

Automatic Lump Sum

£0

Note: This is the gross lump sum from this DB scheme. The Financial Summary Dashboard applies the £268,275 Lump Sum Allowance cap across all pension schemes combined.

Important Notes

These projections are estimates — actual figures depend on your scheme's exact rules and actuarial tables
Early retirement reductions use a compound method aligned with GAD tables; actual scheme factors may vary slightly — always request a formal estimate from your administrator
State pension offset values use 2026/27 DWP figures (new SP £12,548/yr, basic SP £9,615/yr), which increase annually under the triple lock
CARE revaluation defaults to the CPI rate from UK Rates; enable the custom override only if your scheme specifies a different formula
DB pensions provide guaranteed, inflation-linked income — consider speaking with an IFA before making retirement decisions

Synopsis

This calculator projects the pension you'll receive from a defined benefit (DB) scheme — including Final Salary and Career Average (CARE) arrangements used across the NHS, Local Government (LGPS), Teachers' Pension Scheme, Civil Service Alpha, and Network Rail's RPS schemes. Pick a scheme preset to load typical accrual rates and rules, or configure everything manually if you're in a private sector or bespoke scheme. Optional features — early or late retirement adjustments, State Pension integration, and custom CARE revaluation — only affect the result when you switch them on, so the projection always reflects the specific rules your scheme actually uses. If you also have a Workplace Pension, both are combined automatically in your retirement income projections.