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Frequently
Asked Questions
The questions below are those which arise most often. If you
have a question which is not covered below, please contact Accenture HR Services.
The information given below is intended only as a guide and
may be incomplete. The Scheme is governed in law by its Trust Deeds and
Rules. Where the answers given below differ in any regard from the Trust
Deeds and Rules, the terms of the Trust Deeds and Rules shall prevail.
Can I continue to pay
my BTPS contributions after leaving the company?
Ongoing active membership of the BTPS is only available to employees who
remain in BT Group employment. If you leave BT, your pension will be
preserved until you reach retirement age, elect to transfer to a new scheme
or take a refund of the contributions (only applies to people with less
than two years Scheme membership). Any Additional Voluntary Contributions
(AVCs) you were paying will also cease when you leave the Company.
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I have preserved
benefits in other pension arrangements. Can I transfer these into the BT
Pension Scheme after I have left the company?
No. The Scheme does not permit the receipt of pension transfers after you
have ceased to be an active member of the Scheme.
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Does my pension/deferred
pension increase over time?
Your pension does increase every year to counter the effects of
inflation. How much your pension will go up is described in detail
within the 'Pension Increases' section of the Member
Booklet. Alternatively, you can read about this by clicking:
Here
for Section A/B members
Here
for Section C Members
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I wish to inform you
of who I want to receive the lump sum death benefit in the event of my
death. How do I do this?
This is done using an Expression of Wish form, which is available
here.
You may have completed one of these in the past, in which case
it will be held on your pension record by the Administrators.
You can change your wishes at any time by completing a new form
and you should also consider doing this if your personal circumstances
change.
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I am not married but
have an adult dependant. I want him/her to receive a pension upon my death.
What do I do?
You may nominate an adult who is financially dependent upon you,
or with whom you have a significant degree of financial interdependency,
to receive the pension that would normally be paid to your spouse
upon your death. The nomination form is available here.
An Adult Dependant’s Pension is a discretionary benefit
and is thus not a right under the Scheme. The Trustees assess each
case placed before them to establish whether they feel there was
true financial dependency/interdependency and to establish whether
any other party might have a stronger claim on the benefit.
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Why do BT and the BTPS Trustees no longer send
a Christmas card to pensioners?
As a socially responsible company, BT has introduced many initiatives
to protect and enhance the environment, including the planting of
saplings in woodland across the UK. Today's technology means that
many people no longer need to receive a paper telephone bill in
the post. Instead, they can receive and settle their bill via the
internet. In keeping with this concern for the environment, BT did
not send out Christmas cards in 2005 and will not do so in 2006
or in subsequent years.
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When will I get pensions payslips?
New pensioners get a statement of how much their monthly
pension will be at the time it commences. All pensioners get a payslip
at the end of April every year showing the increased level of pension
that applied from 1 April and
the payment dates for the coming year. You will also be sent
a payslip if your net pension changes by £1 or more for any
reason.
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Why don’t I get a monthly pension payslip anymore?
BTPS has over 175,000 pensioners and the cost of posting
a payslip to each of these every month has become prohibitive. Accenture
therefore stopped sending monthly payslips effective 1 July 2007.
New pensioners will still get a statement of how much their monthly
pension will be at the time it commences and all pensioners will
get a payslip at the end of April every year showing the increased
level of pension that applied from 1 April and
the payment dates for the coming year. You will also be sent
a payslip if your net pension changes by £1 or more for any
reason.
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