As the pension year end of 31st March approaches, in accordance with the guidance notes on the Locum B pension form, the March form is to be filled in a little differently to normal.
The penultimate page of the Locum B form states:
“If you perform freelance GP locum work in March 2023 but receive payment in April 2023, this should be declared on your March 2023 GP Locum form B so that, when annualising, your tiered employee contribution rate in year 2022/23 takes account of your pensionable work in March 2023. If the work spans March 2023 and April 2023 you must record and invoice each month separately. This ensures that, when annualising, your tiered employee contribution rate in year 2022/23 takes account of pensionable locum work performed in March 2023. Forms containing work that spans March 2023 and April 2023 will be rejected.”
Therefore if you ordinarily prepare your Locum B forms based on the month in which you receive payment, the March form should include all work PAID in March, as well as work UNDERTAKEN in March (even if you haven’t yet been paid). Provided the above is followed there should be nothing missed nor double counted and your pension records should be processed correctly by PCSE.
When the new tier rates take effect this year (likely October '23), the same process explained above must be carried out again for the final month before the tier rate change (likely September '23). This will ensure your forms are processed properly by PCSE and you pay the correct amount of pension contributions.
Get in touch if you need help or have any queries about this.
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