Civil Service Pensions Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In our final minisode of Season 2, Liz Scully, Risk & Control Director, joins us to talk about pension fraud. What is it? How does it happen and can someone really steal your pension?

Liz shares the warning signs to look out for, how we combat fraud and what you can do to protect your retirement savings.

Useful links:

• Pension Fraud - Civil Service Pensions
• The Pensions Regulator
• Information Commissioner’s Office
• Financial Services Register
• Financial Conduct Authority – Warning List

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our final full-length episode of this season, Rob & Emily chat to Sarj Wheelwright, Engagement Manager for Civil Service & Royal Mail Pensions about what our members are saying about pensions and this scheme.

With recordings from live events over summer 2023, we hear members’ thoughts and views and where retirement planning sits among their financial priorities right now. From keeping up with the cost-of-living to managing day-to-day financial responsibilities, we listen and respond to members’ viewpoints and assumptions.

Find out more at civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/podcast

Useful links:

• Partnership pension account
• Early retirement
• Benefits for your loved ones
• How to boost your pension
• Make a Death Benefit Nomination

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our first minisode of the series, we share a sneak preview of our conversation with Mary, who took partial retirement after almost 27 years in the DVSA.

Mary tells us about her life after taking a step back from work, whilst continuing to do a job she loves on her own terms. She talks about splitting her time between the UK and Turkey, the support she’s received from her family and her partner’s concerns when it came to leaving work behind for good. Look out for Mary’s full episode next week, wherever you get your podcasts.
 
You can find out more about partial retirement at civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/partial-retirement

All episodes were recorded between June-August 2023, and all information shared in this series is accurate at the time of recording.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past year, many of us have felt the squeeze on our finances caused by the cost-of-living increases.

If you’ve been worried that saving for your future might be leaving you short of money in the present, this episode is for you.

Kicking off the series, Kerrie Cureton-Williams, Deputy Director of Civil Service & Royal Mail Pensions in the Cabinet Office and Thomas Lynas, Money Advice Supervisor at the Charity for Civil Servants, chat to Rob and Emily about the cost-of-living.

We dive into what we mean by ‘the cost-of-living’, and what’s happening to cause the increases we’ve been seeing over the last 12 months.

Kerrie reminds us of some of the benefits of staying in the scheme, including the generous employer contributions, the ability to partially retire and the benefits for your loved ones in case the unthinkable happens.

There’s also built-in flexibility within the Civil Service Pension arrangements in the form of the partnership pension account. Partnership is a defined contribution scheme which can give you more flexibility over your contributions – you can even stop contributing for a while, if you need a break – and your employer will still contribute on your behalf.

We also talk about ways that members can make sure that saving for tomorrow doesn’t leave them short of money today, and Thomas shares some money-saving tips to help keep costs down.

Finally, we talk about where members can find out more, including free tools, resources and guidance available from MoneyHelper and PensionWise.

Find out more about your civil service pension at civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk

Useful links:

• Benefit calculators
• Benefits for your loved ones
• Partnership pension account
• Partial retirement
• MoneyHelper
• PensionWise
• Charity for Civil Servants

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re back for a season 2 of the Civil Service Pensions Podcast, with new topics and questions for our guest speakers.

How does the cost-of-living affect your pension? Are we all heading for an identity crisis in retirement? Is it true that someone can actually steal your pension? Plus, we hear what members think about the scheme and explore new retirement journeys – including how Gerald left work behind for the sake of his health, and Mary’s adventures made possible by taking partial retirement.

We’re also bringing you six 'minisodes' of bonus content to help you really get to grips with your Civil Service Pension and make more informed choices about your future. Whether you’re approaching retirement now or just getting started with your career, there’s something for everyone.

All episodes of Season 2 were recorded between June-August 2023 and all information was accurate at the time of recording.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final episode of this series, Rob and Emily chat to Mick Mulligan, Head of Engagement for Civil Service and Royal Mail Pensions in the Cabinet Office, and Emily Wilson, Senior Training Consultant at MyCSP.

There are many common life events that most of us go through at one stage or another-from getting a new job and joining the scheme, to getting a promotion, taking a career break, having children and beyond. Mick and Emily share how these events can impact your pension.

While not everyone will experience all of these events, it's important to understand what they might mean for your pension and retirement planning. Your pension could be one of your largest and most valuable assets by slowly building up overtime, so it's important to factor it into any major career/life decisions you make.

Find out more atcivilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob and Emily are joined by Andy Jones, Engagement Manager for Civil Service and RoyalMail Pensions in the Cabinet Office, and Jane Bates, Head of Life Events at MyCSP. They discuss what happens to your pension if you leave the Civil Service or opt out of the scheme.

We know that the vast majority of members stay in the scheme once they're opted in by their employer, but a small number opt out. We talk to Andy about some of the factors that may drive people to leave the scheme, such as other financial priorities, investing in property instead, or simply not prioritising retirement planning yet. 

The decisions you make now can have a huge impact later on in life and our online tools can help members understand how their pension builds up over time.

Andy and Jane highlight that the scheme not only provides for you, it can also provide invaluable support to your loved ones in the event of your death.

Find out more at civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James is 32 years old, lives in Liverpool and is a Policy Advisor in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. He's also about to become a dad...but he doesn't really know much about his pension.

In this episode, James chats to Rob and Emily about his perspective on why some of our younger members could be less engaged with their pension and may not be planning for their retirement yet.

Also joining us is Cathryn Murray, Training & Engagement Manager at MyCSP, who leads a team dedicated to training, educating and empowering members to understand their pension and what it can do for them in the long term.

Cathryn explains that it's never too early to be thinking about your retirement or to start planning for it, and the earlier you start, the better! It doesn't have to be at the top of your list, but it's important to remember that your pension is the biggest employment benefit after your salary.

Find out more at civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Rob and Emily are joined by guests from the Cabinet Office to discuss the Gender Pension Gap and why half the UK’s population may be facing an unbalanced future in retirement.

Cilla Christmas, Valuation and Strategic Review Manager and Co-Chair of the Civil Service Carer's Network, and Sarj Wheelwright, Stakeholder and Engagement Manager for Civil Service and Royal Mail Pensions talk us through the social, political and economic drivers of the Gender Pension Gap.

We explore the key facts, figures and research around this issue, and Cilla and Sarj talk about their own experiences. From workplaces that used to automatically place women on temporary contracts when they got married; balancing childcare responsibilities with their careers; to dividing assets when going through the divorce process.

We also hear some practical tips and advice that may help mitigate the impact of the Gender Pension Gap.

Find out more at civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Linda shares her story and retirement experiences. From unconscious bias to thermal underwear, this episode is guaranteed to leave you thinking about your financial future in a different way.

Linda is a former civil servant who worked for 45 years at HM Revenue & Customs before retiring in 2019. Her retirement story is unique, and she gives us a lot of food for thought about planning for our own financial futures.

From studying for a degree and volunteering at Southwark Cathedral, to navigating the unconscious bias in society as a post-menopausal woman, it's clear that Linda's retirement years are proving to be the best ones yet, and many of the things she's doing are made possible because of her Civil Service pension.

She also shares some words of wisdom for members approaching retirement about how to mentally prepare for one of the biggest lifestyle changes you'll ever experience, and how it's never too early to start thinking about your retirement - even if you're in your 20s and 30s.

Find out more at civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.