If you’re thinking of taking your BTPS pension, it’s helpful to know the steps to take.
Register for our member portal
Access your pension online 24/7. You’ll need your BTPS membership number – find it on the last letter we sent you.
See what your BTPS pension is worth
Use our online Pension Calculator to see what the standard pension benefits you’ve built up working at BT. Then run your own quotes to see the different options you have. Save as many online quotes as you like, without obligation. Remember - pensions are taxed as income. Your choice between annual pension and lump sum will determine your annual BTPS pension income. Consider this alongside any other income you have from work or other pensions, including the State Pension.
Decide when to retire
Your BTPS pension is designed to be taken when you reach your ‘Normal Pension Age’. You can take it earlier but the amount you get will be lower, as we’ll be paying it for longer. See the impact by running pension quotes with different pension start dates.
Get financial advice
Deciding how to take your pension is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. We recommend speaking to an independent financial adviser (IFA) authorised by the FCA. MoneyHelper can help you to find a retirement adviser with their retirement adviser directory.
MoneyHelper provides impartial help, backed by government and is free to use. You'll get clear money and pensions guidance, and pointers to trusted services if you need more support.
If you have additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) or other defined contribution (or money purchase) pensions elsewhere and are over age 50, Pension Wise from MoneyHelper offers free, impartial guidance about your options in relation to your AVCs.
If you have AVCs with BTPS you will need to receive guidance from Pension Wise
about using your AVCs, before applying to take your pension. Find out more on
the next page.
Decision time
Once you know the pension option that’s right for you, go online and commit to your chosen pension quote on the portal. Fill in your application online and we’ll send everything to you to sign. Please tell us at least three months before you want your pension to start.
Still working at BT?
As long as you’re over your minimum pension age, you have more choice to carry on working and take your pension. Your options will depend on the section of BTPS you are in and your age. You can find out more about the flexible retirement opportunities BT offer on the Flexible Retirement pages on BT’s intranet.
If you are an employed deferred member running retirement quotes on the portal and want a detailed understanding of how annual pension increases in deferment are applied you can read more in these factsheets.
| Section B Pension Increases in Deferment factsheet |
PDF |
DOWNLOAD |
| Section C Pension Increases in Deferment factsheet |
PDF |
DOWNLOAD |