Civil Service Pensions Podcast
The Civil Service Pension Scheme is one of the best workplace pension schemes in the UK public sector. But what makes it so good? We want members of the scheme to feel informed and empowered when it comes to planning for their financial future, but we know that pensions can feel complicated and difficult to understand. This podcast aims to make things simple - whether you're working or retired, if you've left the Civil Service - or even if you're thinking about joining the Civil Service - there's something for everyone. Hosts Rob Walker and Emily Eccles from MyCSP (the scheme administrator for Civil Service Pensions) take things back to basics. Their conversations will help you get to grips with your pension and even make some informed decisions about your future. No question is too small and no answer is too complex. Each episode explores different aspects of the scheme. With expert guests and members talking about their life experiences and perspectives, and how these events have affected their views on retirement and their pension. Each informative episode could help you think about your pension in different ways. Many people believe that a pension is something to think about later in life, or something to get round to dealing with eventually. That just isn't true. It’s never too early to start saving or planning for your future beyond work. Your pension is one of your most valuable assets and the decisions you make now can have a huge impact further down the line. It is a crucial personal financial benefit and your ticket to living your best life when you're no longer working. It's key to making your retirement years as fulfilling and rewarding as possible. From learning the basics, we explore a number of topics surrounding pensions and the scheme itself. Our first series features case studies of members in their 20s and 30s through to retirement, as well as discussions around the Gender Pension Gap, discovering how common life events can affect your ability to save for the future and the steps you can take to boost your pension. Even if you've never worked for the Civil Service before, this podcast is full of useful information and advice for anyone with a workplace pension. We hope you enjoy it. To find out more about the scheme, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Episodes
For our final minisode of Season 3, Rob and Emily chat to Rosie Geeves, Head of Member Services, and Dean Norman, Senior Pensions Administrator about what happens to your pension when you die.
The idea of losing a loved one, or what we’d like to happen after we die, are difficult topics to discuss - particularly when we need to deal with paperwork, formalities, or even financial complications during an emotional time.
Rosie ...
In our penultimate episode of this season, Rob sits down with guests to explore the role employers play in the Civil Service Pension scheme.
Andy Jones (Cabinet Office), Louise Ibbetson (DWP) and Lara Muniz Fernandez (MOJ) share their perspectives on the scheme and discuss their experiences of supporting members to get the most out of their Civil Service Pension.
The group explore the role of an employer and their r...
In this minisode, Emily and Rob are joined by Michelle Storer, Training Consultant, to discuss partial retirement.
Partial retirement enables active members to take some of their pension and tax-free lump sum while continuing to work. It’s a great way to ease yourself into your post-work years, or work for longer without needing to work full-time – whatever is right for your circumstances.
Michelle talks us through the part...
This week, Emily and Rob sit down with guests to explore the impact that a break in service – whether it’s a career break or a job opportunity outside the civil service – can have on your pension.
Karen returned to the Civil Service in 2014 after a short break. She came back to a new role, and a new pension.
Karen tells us about her decision to come back to the Civil Service, and how the Civil Service Pension was part of th...
In this minisode, Helen Shrimpton, Training Consultant, talks about why it’s never too early to be thinking about your pension, even if retirement feels decades away.
We know that some of our younger, millennial members are less likely to be thinking about this part of their financial future, which is unsurprising given that pensions can feel complicated and not relevant at their stage in life.
Patrick’s journey has taken him from his commute into work, to continuing a beloved hobby in his post-work years – all on the back of a motorcycle!
Having spent his career as a meteorologist working for the Met Office, he’s been spending his retirement years delivering life-saving services as a blood bike rider.
In this episode, he tells us about his career and his work with charity Freewheelers EVS, the charity providing this hidd...
Minisode: New webinar for 2015 Remedy (McCloud)
In this minisode, Emily Wilson, Senior Training Consultant, returns to the podcast to tell us about new training available for members about 2015 Remedy (McCloud).
If you’re impacted by 2015 Remedy (McCloud) but unsure about what it means or how it affects you, the new 2015 Remedy Pension Power webinar is a free, one-hour refresher. It covers what the 2015 Remedy is, how to find out i...
Our latest episode of the Civil Service Pensions podcast is available now.
This week, we discuss what to expect from the retirement process if you’re affected by 2015 Remedy (McCloud). Chris, who recently took early retirement, talks about the decision she made when making her choice for the seven-year Remedy period (1 April 2015 – 31 March 2022). She explains the steps she followed and how Remedy affected her reasons to retire.
We...
This week, we chat to Liliana Gonzalez, Training Consultant, who walks us through the retirement process step by step, with tips and advice on what to consider at every stage.
It’s important to remember that your pension will be your income after you retire, and so you should consider how much you will need to live on.
If you’re approaching retirement and you want to know about the process involved, we hope you’l...
In our second episode of Season 3, Cilla Christmas, Valuation & Strategic Review Manager and Co-Chair of the Carer’s Network returns to the podcast to talk about what caring responsibilities can mean for your pension and retirement planning.
From drawing on personal experiences of caring responsibilities to exploring the statistics around carers in the Civil Service, Cilla talks us through what it means to be a carer and how to...
In the first minisode of this season, Kelly Freaney, Senior Training Consultant joins us to talk about what it means to be a dual member. Whether you’ve had a break in service or if you’re impacted by 2015 Remedy (McCloud), Kelly talks us through everything you need to know about your pension, how to keep track of all your benefits, and what to consider when it comes to retirement planning.
Listen to this episode using the embedded...
When Gillian retired on her 60th birthday, she went home and wept. After a career which took her all over the world, she felt cut adrift and needed a new purpose in life.
Now, 20 years later, she’s a published author and has taken up a whole new line of work as a Registrar of Marriages.
From spending nine years as an Assistant Purser with P&O aboard Canberra and Oriana cruise ships, to a fulfilling 30 years of service with the ...
We’re delighted to be back for a season 3 of the Civil Service Pensions Podcast, with new topics and questions for our guest speakers.
How does being a carer affect your pension? What to do if you’re retiring with 2015 Remedy (McCloud). What does it mean for your pension if you return to the Civil Service? Plus, we hear what members think about the scheme and explore new retirement journeys – including Gillian big leap into the dar...
In our final minisode of Season 2, Liz Scully, Risk & Control Director, joins us to talk about pension fraud. What is it? How does it happen and can someone really steal your pension?
Liz shares the warning signs to look out for, how we combat fraud and what you can do to protect your retirement savings.
Useful links:
In our final full-length episode of this season, Rob & Emily chat to Sarj Wheelwright, Engagement Manager for Civil Service & Royal Mail Pensions about what our members are saying about pensions and this scheme.
With recordings from live events over summer 2023, we hear members’ thoughts and views and where retirement planning sits among their financial priorities right now. From keeping up with the cost-of-living to managi...
In this minisode, Cathryn Murray, Training & Engagement Manager, shares the 6 things you can do to kick-start your retirement planning.
From transferring in an old workplace pension, to nominating a beneficiary and joining a Pension Power webinar – this episode could be your quick checklist to lay the foundation for your financial future.
Useful links:
After 45 years working in HMRC, Gerald had big plans for his retirement. But those plans were turned upside down when health issues rendered him too ill to work.
In this episode, Gerald talks to Rob and Emily about his experience of having to leave work through the Ill Health Retirement route, earlier than he had planned.
Navigating retirement with an invisible illness brought a unique set of challenges for Gerald. One of the tough...
In this minisode, we share a sneak preview of our conversation with Gerald, who took ill health retirement after a long career in HMRC.
Gerald tells us about a shock diagnosis that turned his retirement plans upside down, forcing him to leave work behind earlier than he’d planned. He talks about how he adapted to his new lifestyle and condition and how he was able to take up a whole new line of work.
Look out for Gerald’s story in ...
“So, what do you do?” It’s often the first question we ask when we meet someone new, and it can tell a lot about who they are… or can it?
Cilla Christmas (Valuation & Strategic Review Manager and Co-Chair of the Civil Service Carers Network) returns to the podcast to discuss the idea that our jobs can be a defining part of our identity.
Rob shares his experience of being furloughed in 2020 during the first COVID19 lockdown, a...
Every year, we issue Annual Benefit Statements (ABS) to active members of the scheme.
To help you understand your ABS, Emily Wilson, Senior Training Consultant from MyCSP takes listeners through their statement, step by step and page by page. Helping you to better understand how your pension is doing and plan for the future.
Emily also answers some of the most common queries we receive into the contact centre and explains h...
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