You can run your own personalised retirement quotes on our Pension Calculator

If you aren't able to use the Pension Calculator please contact us and we'll arrange for your quote to be sent to your document library as soon as it's ready. We'll email you to let you know when it's there to look at.

Early retirement

The date you joined BTPS will determine the minimum age you can take your pension, as well as your Normal Pension Age under the Scheme.

Deferred members - If you joined BTPS before 5 April 2006, the minimum age you can take your pension is age 50. If you joined after that date your minimum pension age is 55. (If you have more than one period of service at BT, your last date of joining counts). However, taking your pension at this age would be classed as taking early retirement. This means your pension would be subject to early retirement factors as you’d be taking it before your Normal Pension Age.

Active members - please refer to the flexible retirement pages on BT's intranet.

If you decide to take your pension before your Normal Pension Age, then the total amount you get will be reduced by what we call early retirement factors. This reflects the fact we’d be paying your pension earlier and for longer than intended. The scale of reduction is set by the Trustee and can vary from time to time.

Get a pension quote

Go to our Pension Calculator to get a personalised pension quote. You can run quotes based on different pension start dates to see the potential impact of taking your pension early.

Taking your pension and staying at BT

If you're over 55 you can apply to BT for Flexible Retirement. Full details of conditions and how to apply are on the Flexible Retirement pages on BT's intranet.

Understanding the future financial impact of Flexible Retirement

BT is keen to ensure that members seeking to retire under the Flexible Retirement process fully understand the decision that they are making and the impact that this will have on their future financial position. You will, therefore, be asked to confirm you have received financial advice or guidance, from an appropriate person or firm, regarding the future financial impact that entering into Flexible Retirement is likely to have on you. BT may ask to see evidence of the fact that you have obtained such advice prior to making the flexible retirement application. If you have any questions about this requirement these should be referred to BT.

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What is Pension Increase Exchange (PIE)?

If you built up benefits in BTPS before 6 April 1997, you will be offered the option to give up future increases on the part of your pension built up before that date, in exchange for a higher starting pension.

Pension Increase Exchange (also known as PIE) gives you a higher initial pension in exchange for some of your future annual pension increases. So, although you’ll get a higher annual pension straight away, eventually it will fall below the annual pension you’d have if you’d taken it without PIE. How far in the future that point will be depends on a range of variables including the age you start taking your pension and future rates of inflation.

How does PIE work?

Most members can’t give up increases on all elements of their pension as legally some must increase each year in line with inflation. This means that if you choose PIE, there will be two parts to your pension: your annual increasing pension and your annual non-increasing pension. Your annual increasing pension will rise broadly in line with inflation each year. The non-increasing part won’t rise. If you die, the pension your surviving spouse/civil partner gets would work the same way.

Go to the Pension Calculator to see if your pension options offer Pension Increase Exchange and read more in Your Pension Guide and the PIE factsheet.

Guaranteed Minimum Pension and PIE

If you built up BTPS benefits before 6 April 1997, some of your pension is made up of Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP). Your GMP will be included in your annual increasing pension. This element of your pension may receive different increases to the rest of your pension. Read Your Pension Guide for more information about how increases work. Please note that some GMP benefits may not receive increases.

Deferring your pension

If you still work for BT:

You can carry on working for BT past Normal Pension Age and take your pension at a later date. Please refer to the Flexible retirement pages on BT's intranet for more detail about your options. If you are a section B member, you do not need BT's consent to take flexible retirement if you have already reached your Normal Pension Age. If you are a section C member you do not need BT's consent to take flexible retirement if you are age 75 or over.

Click the link below to go to the Pension Calculator to generate a personalised pension quote with the future pension start date you may have in mind.

Pension Calculator

If you no longer work at BT:

No, your pension is payable and taxable from your Normal Pension Age there are no additional benefits to deferring your pension to a later date. If you don't know your Normal Pension Age you can find it on My membership.

AVC Switching

You can request to switch your AVC funds in the AVC section of the BTPS Portal.

Please be aware that a request to switch your AVC funds is not an instant transaction; the transfer of funds typically takes up to 6 working days to complete but it is likely to take longer if you are switching out of the Standard Life with-profits fund.

There is a risk that market volatility could affect the value of your fund between the date of your switch request and the date it is disinvested. The value can go down, as well as up during this period.

Between your funds being disinvested and the time they’re invested in your new choice of fund, there may be a short period when they are not invested at all. This is known as being ‘out of market’. While your funds are ‘out of market’, they will not benefit from market gains nor be reduced by market losses.

If you are unsure about how market volatility may affect the value of your AVC, please consult an independent financial advisor before requesting a switch.

Once you request a switch you’ll need to wait until that switch is complete and our systems are updated before starting a new one.

If you switch from the Standard Life With-Profits Fund, you may be giving up valuable guarantees and your fund may be subject to a reduction in value. Read a guide to Standard Life’s with-profits funds

Using your AVCs

As AVCs are classed as defined contribution pension contributions, you have several different options on using them, not just towards your BTPS pension.

To find out how you can use them towards your tax-free lump sum go to our Pension Calculator and run your own personalised pension quotes. You’ll see your options and how your AVCs can be used with each one. If you save any quotes, the pdf download will give you more detail, as well as the choices you have if there are any remaining AVCs.

Go to Pension Calculator here

The MoneyHelper booklet, ‘Your pension: your choices’ also explains the alternate choices you have in using your AVCs, and the risks attached to each. You can read it here

Pension Wise

Pension Wise, part of MoneyHelper, is a government-backed service to help people over 50 make informed choices about defined contribution (DC) pensions. As AVCs are classed as defined contribution pension contributions, you can use the service to learn more about how your AVC fund could provide a lump sum or a regular income. You can book a free meeting with an adviser at moneyhelper.org.uk and search for 'Pension Wise appointment' or by calling 0800 138 3944.

In May 2022, we introduced a new range of additional voluntary contribution (AVC) funds. As a result, we moved members' existing AVC investments to the new fund(s) which most closely matched their current fund choice.

We wrote to members in March 2022 to explain what was happening and included more detailed information about the new funds. You can view the more detailed fund factsheets on our website at btps.co.uk/YourAVCs and on the AVC pages of your online account on the member portal.

AVC fund charges

You can view the charges for each of the funds on our “About the funds” page or on the AVC page of our website at btps.co.uk.

AVC transfers

If you decide it’s right for you, you can transfer either all of your AVCs out of the scheme – or make a partial AVC transfer i.e. just a portion of your total AVC holding to another pension scheme.

You’re allowed to make a partial AVC transfer only once. Any further AVC transfer must be for the remaining balance of your AVC funds. This can either be a standalone AVC transfer, or as part of taking your main BTPS benefits at retirement.

If you want to go ahead with an AVC transfer, contact us to request a quote and the forms you need.

We strongly recommend that you get advice from an IFA before you transfer your AVCs, to help you make the right decision. You can find an authorised financial adviser at moneyhelper.org.uk. Guidance and help is also available from Pension Wise, part of MoneyHelper.

Pension Wise is a government-backed service to help people over 50 make informed choices about defined contribution (DC) pensions. As AVCs are classed as defined contribution pension contributions, you can use the service to learn more about how your AVC fund could provide a lump sum or a regular income. You can book a free meeting with an adviser at moneyhelper.org.UK and search for 'Pension Wise appointment' or by calling 0800 138 3944.

Pension transfers

You can get a transfer out quote here.

Transferring out of BTPS is a big decision. If you decide to leave you can’t reverse that decision once the transfer is complete. Make sure you read the information provided with your quote.

If the value of your BTPS benefits (excluding any AVCs you may have) are more than £30,000 you must get advice from an independent financial adviser before you can transfer out.

You should also protect yourself against pension scams. Here’s some guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority fca.org.uk/scamsmart.

Transfer values

A cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) is a cash amount that broadly reflects the total value of your BTPS benefits if you were to transfer them to another pension scheme. To work it out we look at how much it is likely to cost to provide your benefits under the Scheme, including:

• The annual pension you’re entitled to under BTPS Rules, and
• Benefits that we might pay in future – like a spouse’s or dependant’s pension.

Transferring out of BTPS is a big decision. If you decide to leave you can’t reverse that decision once the transfer is complete. Make sure you read the information provided with your quote.

If the value of your BTPS benefits (excluding any AVCs you may have) are more than £30,000 you must get advice from an independent financial adviser before you can transfer out.

You should also protect yourself against pension scams. Here’s some guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority fca.org.uk/scamsmart..

Divorce

If you are going through a divorce, your ex-partner’s solicitor may have requested a cash equivalent value (CEV) quote for divorce purposes.

You can get this quote on our member portal.

You can also read our Divorce Guide to understand more about pension sharing and earmarking orders and the process we have to follow if issued with a court order in respect of your pension.

Partial transfers

If you built up benefits working at BT both before and after 1 April 2009, you may be eligible for a partial transfer. This would mean transferring out just the benefits you built up after 31 March 2009. The benefits you built up before 1 April 2009 would then remain with BTPS for you to us toward your retirement.

If you are eligible for a partial transfer, your Transfer Out Quote will show you a partial transfer value.

You need to be sure that any new scheme is able to meet your needs as effectively as the valuable, lifelong benefits you’ve built up with BTPS. If your partial transfer value is more than £30,000 you must speak to an IFA.

Pension scams

Transferring out of BTPS is a big decision. If you decide to leave you can’t reverse that decision once the transfer is complete. Make sure you read the information provided with your quote. If the value of your BTPS benefits (excluding any AVCs you may have) are more than £30,000 you must get advice from an independent financial adviser before you can transfer out.

You should also protect yourself against pension scams. Here’s some guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority fca.org.uk/scamsmart..

Transfer quote charges

You are entitled to one free guaranteed transfer out quote every 12 months. If you request another guaranteed quote within 12 months there will be a £250 charge.

Find out more about transfer quote fees by logging in to the member portal and heading to My Pension then Transferring my pension.

You can get an illustrative (non-guaranteed) transfer value free of charge – unless you already have an existing guaranteed quote that’s still within its three month guarantee period.

If your new bank or building society account is in the UK, you can change your details directly on our member portal. Just register or login and go to My Account and click Bank details. You can find a list of pension payment dates there too.

Alternatively, you can download and complete a Change of Bank form

Your pension is paid on the last working day of each calendar month (in December it’s the last working day before Christmas Eve). To avoid any delay to your pension payments we advise you to keep your previous account open until you have seen your pension credited to your new account.

If you want your pension paid into an overseas (non-UK) bank account, you will need to download and complete an international payment form for the relevant country which you can find on our website and portal under Support.

The form will default to your local currency so, if you wish to be paid in pounds sterling, you will need to amend the form to indicate that. If you want to receive payments in pounds sterling, please check your bank will accept such payments and be aware they may charge for this service. Payments to overseas accounts may take up to 5 working days after the payment date. Please factor in this timing when setting up any direct debits for household expenses.

We pay pensions on the last working day of the month, and we pay in arrears.

When applying to take your pension, you will need to tell us your chosen ‘pension start date’. This is the date your pension is effective from – but is usually different from the date you receive your first pension payment. As we pay in arrears, your first payment is likely to be a part payment (or pro-rata) and will cover the period from your pension start date until the last day in that month, rather than being a whole month’s pension.

First pension payments are usually taxed on an emergency tax code, so it can take a month or two for HMRC to align your tax code and for things to settle down to your regular monthly pension amount. Bear that in mind when you are planning your retirement.

If you are also being paid a tax-free lump sum, that will generally be paid on your chosen pension start date (rather than the last working day of the month), assuming it’s a working day and not a weekend or Bank Holiday.

Monthly payslips are available to view and download on the member portal, just log in and go to My account, My documents then My Payslips. Choose the payslip for the period you want and click download.

Find out more on our website Payments page.

If you were an active member of Section B or Section C of BTPS from 6 April 2009, the State Pension Offset will reduce your BTPS pension once you reach your State Pension age.

What is the State Pension Offset?

A permanent reduction to your annual BTPS pension when you reach State Pension age. It’s important to look at the figure we provide in your Pension Quote, or on your portal quote, for your State Pension Offset. Be aware though that the figure will rise broadly in line with National Average Earnings (known as Section 148 Orders) each year so it will be higher when you reach State Pension age.

Why do we apply it to your pension?

Before 6 April 2009, BTPS was contracted out of the State Second Pension (also known as the Additional State Pension). This meant that you and BT paid less in National Insurance contributions as you weren’t building up a State Second Pension. As part of this arrangement, the Scheme agreed to provide members with a guaranteed minimum level of pension benefits that were similar to the State Second Pension they’d given up.

From 6 April 2009 Section B and Section C of BTPS stopped contracting out and contracted back into the State Second Pension. This meant that, from this date, these members paid higher National Insurance contributions and started to build up an entitlement to a State Second Pension to top up their basic State Pension. BT also compensated members for the additional National Insurance contributions that they had to pay. If you were one of these members, you’ll have seen this on your BT payslip as an allowance.

You can find out more in our State Pension Offset factsheet.

If you are a BTPS pensioner, you can view and download copies of your pension payslips and P60s on our member portal. Register and log in from the homepage of our website at btps.co.uk then go to My account, My documents then My Payslips or My P60s. Choose the PDF for the period you want and click download.

You can find out more about how annual pension increases are applied to your pension in our Payslip Guide. Read the one that applies to the Section of the Scheme you're a member of.

Your monthly payslip history is available to view and download on our member portal. Just log in and go to My account, My documents then My Payslips. Choose the payslip for the period you want and click download.

We apply annual pension increases every April. Your April portal payslip will reflect this increase.

For members not registered for our member portal (or who have registered but opted to receive paper communications), we will post a paper payslip toward the end of April each year, following any pension increase applied on 1 April.

We pay any annual pension increases in April. For members in Section B, increases are currently in line with the rise in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). For members in section C, increases are currently in line with the Retail Prices Index (RPI) - or by 5%, whichever is lower.

We usually confirm the relevant increases in a news release on our website News section in February/March, subject to the release of both the CPI and RPI figures.

If you’ve been taking your pension for less than 12 months by April, you’ll get a proportionate increase.

If you built up BTPS benefits before 6 April 1997, some of your pension may be made up of Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP). If this applies to you, pension increases are applied to the part of your pension that is above your Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP).

If you took a pension option that included Pension Increase Exchange (PIE), any GMP will be included in your annual increasing pension. This element of your pension may receive different increases to the rest of your pension, and some GMP benefits may not receive increases. Your Pension Guide gave you more information about how pension increases work.

Read the Payslip Guide that applies to the Section of the Scheme you are a member of. This explains in detail how pension increases are applied to the different components of your pension. You can find the Guide on our website on the Payments page.

BTPS will usually pay an annual pension to your surviving spouse or civil partner if you were to die. This pension would be payable to them for the rest of their life. Click the link below to get an estimate of what pension they might receive:

Death before retirement quote (deferred)

Death in Retirement (pensioner)

There may also be a lump sum death benefit payable at the Trustee's discretion.

If you’re not married or in a civil partnership, you many nominate another adult who is wholly or partly financially dependent on you, and who is likely to remain so. This person can be considered to receive the pension benefits that would have been payable to a surviving spouse or civil partner. This is called as adult dependant pension.
An adult dependant pension can only be paid to one person and they must be over the age of 18. This type of pension is usually from common law relationships, but other adults may be considered.

Payment is at the sole discretion of the BTPS Trustee. To nominate an adult dependant, log on to btps.co.uk and make your nomination online. Remember to keep your nomination up to date if your circumstances change.

Click the link below to nominate your adult dependant:
My adult dependant nomination

Please be aware that if you marry after nominating an adult dependant, the nomination would become void, as an adult dependant’s pension may only be considered where there’s no legal spouse or civil partner.

If you are a Section A member and if there’s an adult dependent that you didn’t nominate before your death, BT would need to agree to them being treated as if they had been nominated.

A Lump sum may be payable upon your death. The payment of a lump sum will depend on when you die, whether you have started taking our BTPS pension and, if so, how long you've been retired.

The BTPS Rules will determine if a lump sum benefit is payable and the Trustee has complete discretion when deciding who should receive it. By completing an Expression of Wish, you can let the Trustee know who you'd like to be considered for any lump sum benefits that may be payable, but please note, an Expression of Wish is not binding on the Trustee.

Click the link below to learn more about death benefits:
Death before retirement quote (deferred)
Death in Retirement (pensioner)

The BTPS Rules allow for the payment of a pension to any dependent children a member may have. The definition of a dependent child is one who is dependent on the deceased at the time of death. A child pension may be payable to a child the deceased conceived, adopted or became a step-parent to before they stopped working for BT. In certain circumstances children for whom the deceased was acting in the position of a parent may also be included.

The child must be:

• Under 17, or
• Between 17 and under the age of 23 and in at least two years’ full-time education (e.g. at secondary school, college, university).
• Between 17 and under the age of 23, in at least two years’ full-time training for a trade or profession and earning below a set level. The child must also be receiving either no remuneration or remuneration that does not exceed a set threshold.
• Over 17 and physically or mentally unable to support themselves.

NB: The pension may also be payable until the child’s 25th birthday if:

• The deceased member died before 6 April 2006 and the child’s pension was being paid or due to be paid before this date, or
• The deceased member was taking their pension from the Scheme on 5 April 2006 and the child was born on or before 5 April 2007.

You can nominate your chosen beneficiaries here. Please read the information provided and remember to update your nomination if your circumstances change.

If you change your email address in My Details it will not automatically change the email you have used as your username to register with this portal.

If you were a member of the Scheme between April 1978 and April 1997, one part of your pension is called ‘Guaranteed Minimum Pension’, or GMP for short. In most cases, GMP is only a small part of someone’s pension.

GMP is a minimum level of pension built up between April 1978 and April 1997. It was introduced to protect the pension rights of members in defined benefit pension schemes that, like BTPS, were ‘contracted out’ of the Additional State Pension (also known as the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme, or SERPS). GMP was only built up by members of pension schemes that chose to contract out.

If it applies to you, the GMP is the minimum level of pension you’re entitled to from BTPS. It’s based broadly on the amount you would have had if you’d been ‘contracted in’. You will normally get your GMP at 60 if you’re a woman, and 65 if you’re a man, regardless of your State Pension age.

The rules for how GMP built up between 1978 and 1997 were based on the way the State Pension worked at the time, with different State Pension ages for men and women.

In the past, women got their State Pension earlier than men. As a result, men and women could build up different amounts of GMP, even if they worked for the same period of time on the same pay. Sometimes this could mean a man is better off, and sometimes it could mean a woman is better off.

As a result of a High Court ruling, like all pension schemes, we have to check that men and women are being treated equally in our scheme.

To do this, we will work out how much GMP you would have built up if you were the opposite sex. If this would have resulted in a higher overall pension, you could be due a slightly higher pension now. If it would have resulted in a lower overall pension, there will be no change to your pension.

This is what is meant by GMP equalisation.

To find out more watch this video or read our GMP equalisation factsheet.

It only affects certain members in Section C. If you are in Section A or Section B, you are not affected.

In addition, the legal change only applies to GMP built up between 17 May 1990 and 5 April 1997. If you are in Section C but don’t have GMP, or you stopped building up GMP before 17 May 1990, you will not be affected.

For those members this does affect, we will work out how much GMP you would have built up if you were the opposite sex. If this would have resulted in a higher overall pension, you could be due a slightly higher pension now, or a small one-off back payment. If it would have resulted in a lower overall pension, there will be no change to your pension.

If you haven’t started taking your pension yet, we will ensure your GMP amount is equalised when you come to retire. Pension quotes produced since September 2023 will be based on equalised GMP.

There’s nothing you need to do. If your pension is affected, we’ll be in touch directly to let you know.

Find out more in our GMP equalisation factsheet.

No, it won’t. Your BTPS pension will either go up or stay the same. No one will see the overall value of their pension go down.

This only affects certain members in Section C. We will work out how much GMP you would have built up if you were the opposite sex. If this would have resulted in a higher overall pension, you could be due a slightly higher pension now, or a small one-off back payment. If it would have resulted in a lower overall pension, there will be no change to your pension.

If you haven’t started getting your pension yet, we will ensure your GMP amount is equalised when you come to retire. Pension quotes produced since September 2023 will be based on equalised GMP.

Pension quotes produced since September 2023 will be based on equalised GMP.

If you haven’t started getting your pension yet, we will ensure your GMP amount is equalised when you come to retire. There’s nothing you need to do.

You can check your Activity Tracker to see the status of any requests or applications you have ongoing with us.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please contact us.

You can change your address in My Details.

You can change your email address in My Details. Please note that changing your email address will not change the email you have used as your username to register with this portal. If you want to change your portal username/email you will need to contact our Member Services team on 0800 731 1919 (or +44 (0) 203 0233420 from abroad). Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5.00pm.

You can find your Section in My Membership

Section A is for members who joined before 1 December 1971.

Section B is for members who last joined the Scheme between 1 December 1971 and 31 March 1986 (or Section A or B members who left BT and subsequently rejoined after 31 March 1986) or members who have elected to switch from Section A.

Section C is for members who last joined the Scheme on or from 1 April 1986 but before the Scheme closed on 31 March 2001 or members who have elected to switch from Section B.