The issues that concern people who are leaving the Regular Armed Forces and joining the Reserve Service are probably easiest to understand if we handle this as they are raised with us, by way of Q&A, and today’s question asks…
Q. If I stay in the PTVR until age 60, my AFPS 15 will be paid when I leave?
A. Yes. If you were an AFPS15 member for part of your Regular Service, and join the PTVR within five years of leaving the Regulars, your AFPS 15 pension will include your earnings in that scheme during Regular Service. If you are a new entrant to AFPS15 or take a break of more than five years, your pension for your PTVR service will be reflected in a separate pension award. Here’s a little tip gleaned from three separate cases raised with us via the Veterans’ Gateway: Make sure your unit HR staff ‘terminate’ you on JPA or your pension will not be paid, even if you have submitted your Pens Form 1. In one case, an individual waited for his pension for 15 months – despite having submitted his discharge paperwork correctly! These teething problems are probably due to the relatively new pensionable status of PTVR Service and that relatively few will have served to age 60 since the introduction of AFPS 15.
Q. And if I leave before age 60?
A. You will have to wait for your deferred pension until your state pension age unless you claim it early (from the age of 55) with actuarial reductions.
Check back tomorrow for the next question in this Q&A series
