Taking a break from work

If you take unpaid leave, you’ll stop contributing to the RMPP while you’re away. So, this period of time won’t count towards your benefits.

However, if you’d like to make your time away from work count, you can make up for the contributions you missed when you come back to work for your employer. If you make up for the contributions you missed, we’ll treat this time as if you hadn’t taken unpaid leave when we calculate your benefits.

How do I make up my contributions?

To make up your contributions, contact the Pensions Service Centre (contact details below). You’ll need to pay:

  • the contributions you would have paid in

  • the contributions your employer would have paid in for you.

That’s unless you’re on a temporary loan to another employer, and this temporary employer pays the contributions your usual employer would have paid. In this case, you’ll only need to pay for your own contributions.

How much will my contributions be?

Your contributions will be based on the pay you would have otherwise paid contributions on, if you hadn’t gone on unpaid leave.

Paid or statutory family leave

If you take paid or statutory family leave – including maternity, paternity or adoption leave – you and your employer will carry on contributing to the RMPP while you’re off work. So, this period of time will count towards your benefits.

You’ll carry on building up benefits based on the salary you would have got if you hadn’t gone on paid or statutory family leave. And your contributions will be based on the basic pay you get while you’re off work.

Unpaid family leave

If you take unpaid family leave, you and your employer will stop contributing to the RMPP while you’re off work. So, this period of time won’t count towards your benefits.

However, if you want to make your time away from work count, you can make up for the contributions you missed when you come back to work for your employer. To do this, please contact the Pensions Service Centre (contact details below). You’ll need to pay:

  • the contributions you would have paid in

  • the contributions your employer would have paid in for you.

Then, we’ll treat it as if you had taken paid or statutory family leave, instead of unpaid family leave, when we calculate your benefits.

If you take a career break, we’ll treat it as unpaid leave. You’ll stop contributing to the RMPP while you’re away from work, so this period of time won’t count towards your benefits.

However, if you want to make your time away count, you can make up for the contributions you missed when you come back to work for your employer. To do this, please contact the Pensions Service Centre (contact details below). You’ll need to pay for:

  • the contributions you would have paid in

  • the contributions your employer would have paid in for you.

Then, when we calculate your benefits, we’ll treat it as if you hadn’t taken a career break.

If you’re a reservist and have been called up for military duty, you have three options to choose from:

1. You can carry on contributing to the RMPP while you’re away

You can make contributions from your military salary. If you carry on contributing, we’ll treat this period of time as if you hadn’t been away when we calculate your benefits. Your employer will carry on contributing as normal.

2. You can make up for the contributions you missed when you’re back

You can pay your contributions when you come back to work after your military duty has finished. Your employer will need to make up their contributions when you come back to work for them too. If you and your employer make up the contributions, we’ll treat this period of time as if you hadn’t been away when we calculate your benefits.

3. You can join the Armed Forces’ Pension Scheme while you’re away

You can stop contributing to the RMPP while you’re on military duty, and join the Armed Forces’ Pension Scheme instead. If you do this, the period of time you’re away for won’t count towards the benefits you get from the RMPP.

Get in touch

1

For further help and information,
​contact the Pensions Service Centre:

  • Group 14 pensions.helpline@royalmail.com
  • Stroke 1 0345 603 0043
    Mon to Fri, 9.00am to 5.00pm
  • Fill 1 Pensions Service Centre,
    PO Box 5863, SHEFFIELD, S98 6AB
  • For questions about RMSPS
    benefits visit Capita at: royalmailsps.co.uk

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