Thousands of doctors face unexpected pension tax charge, FOI data reveal
BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r678 (Published 04 April 2025) Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r678
- Adrian O’Dowd
- London
More than 4000 doctors face having to pay a tax charge on their pensions as a result of the nationally agreed pension discrimination remedy, data have shown.
Various official delays and problems over pensions and tax calculations are also making it difficult for doctors to make plans about their work and retirement.
NHS data obtained by financial advisers under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act show that 4120 doctor and dentist members of the NHS Pension Scheme may have exceeded their annual allowance—the amount by which doctors’ pensions can be deemed to grow before being subject to additional tax charges—in certain tax years after rules are applied.
The data emerged as the government confirmed a delay in NHS pension remedial service statements due to have been issued to doctors by 1 April that will affect the value of their pension benefits.
“McCloud remedy”
The government made changes to the NHS Pension Scheme in 2015, but the reforms did not apply to members who were within 10 years of their normal pension age on 31 March 2012, who remained in their legacy schemes with “transitional protection.”
After legal action the government conceded that protection offered to older …
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