Michelle’s 52. She’s worked for the Environment Agency part-time as an Senior Specialist in Incident Management for 12 years and earns £29,400 (£49,000 pro-rata). She has a grown-up family and a small mortgage.
She’s a member of the Main Section so pays 6.5% of her salary in employee contributions; £159 per month. In October 2019 her pension was worth £6,308 per year.
Michelle has started thinking about her retirement and whether she can retire earlier than her Normal Pension Age (NPA) under the Scheme. Her children have left home but her parents are starting to need more support both physically and financially.
She is aware that the EAPF is a very good pension scheme and that she should be making the most of the benefits on offer.
Michelle’s estimated pension at age 65 would have the same buying power today as an income of around £14,250.
What does this mean for Michelle?
Based on her circumstances Michelle’s not on track to receive the target level of retirement income (60% of her salary) that she may require. Michelle needs to take action now and the sooner she makes changes the more likely it is she can have a comfortable retirement. This will include exploring whether she can afford to pay additional pension contributions, additional voluntary contributions or if there are other, more flexible, retirement income solutions.
What can Michelle do?
There’s lots of information available for Michelle online in the retirement hub including a Budget Planner tool. She simply enters the amount, in today’s terms, she thinks she’s likely to spend in retirement per month and the budget planner will automatically work out the pension she’s going to need to meet these costs. This will help her to see exactly what she might need so she can plan properly and pick a solution to help her get there.
She should also log in or sign up for the EAPF Online portal which gives online access to personalised pension information. It also provides further details regarding the EAPF, the option to update information or submit queries, together with an online mailbox. It also gives her the chance to nominate her family to receive any benefits that are payable should she die.
Are you like Michelle?
- Use our budget planning tool for a realistic view of incomings and outgoings
- Sign up or log in to the EAPF Online portal to check your details are up to date and view your annual pension statement
- Watch our video on retirement options for a simple explanation of your choices
Important Note
These figures are intended for illustration only and the level of income you need will vary depending on your circumstances. You should take independent financial advice if you are unsure. Most people will qualify for a state pension in addition to any workplace or personal pension savings. The full state pension is currently worth around £8,800 per year. More information on the state pension can be found at www.gov.uk/check-state-pension