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Normal Minimum Pension Age to increase

The government will be increasing the Normal Minimum Pension Age (NMPA) from age 55 to age 57 from 2028.

The NMPA is the earliest age that you can start taking any pension benefits (including those from the Scheme) without triggering a tax penalty.

For most registered pension schemes, this is currently age 55. But from 6 April 2028, it will increase to age 57 to bring it 10 years below the State Pension age, which is currently 67 for both men and women.

How this could affect you:

If you were born before 7 April 1971

You won't be affected by this change as you'll already be age 57 by the time it comes into effect in April 2028.

If you were born between 7 April 1971 and 5 April 1973

You will be age 55 on 6 April 2028, so you could be affected if you have not taken all of your benefits by then. If you're taking your benefits in stages, you may have to wait until age 57 to access the balance.

If you were born on or after 6 April 1973

You will now have an NMPA of age 57, so will not be able to take any of your benefits before then.

Why is this happening?

The government is implementing this change to reflect the fact that, on average, people are living longer so they'll also need to access their pensions for longer. By moving NMPA back to age 57, you'll have more time to build up your BRSS savings and the potential to build up a larger retirement income. If you're a deferred member, your savings in the BRSS will remain invested for longer and you may be able to improve your benefits from the Scheme.

Closing the gap between NMPA and the State Pension age by a couple of years also means you won't have to rely on your BRSS pension (and any others you've built up, like a personal pension) as your sole source of retirement income for as long before you start receiving your State Pension.

However, there are certain circumstances where your NMPA could remain age 55. The table below provides a quick guide to the impact on NMPA based on how you could take your BRSS benefit:

Status	Benefit taken	NMPA
Taking all benefits on leaving/retiring from active service in the Scheme on or after NMPA (but before your Normal Retirement Date)	Benefit accessed to purchase an annuity (with or without taking a tax-free lump sum payment)	Age 55
Taking flexible retirement benefits from active service (and continuing to work/contribute/remaining an Active member)	Benefits accessed to purchase an annuity (with or without a tax-free lump sum) or All (or part) benefits exchanged for cash or Drawdown	Age 57
Taking benefits from the Scheme from deferred status	Benefits accessed to purchase an annuity (with or without a tax-free lump sum) or All (or part) benefits exchanged for cash or Drawdown	Age 57