Estimate of GP and non-GP providers NHS Pensionable Profits/Pay

A practice needs to submit an Estimate of Pensionable Pay/Earnings for the upcoming finanicial year, for every salaried, principal and non-GP partner at their practice, by 31 March. This ensures the pension contributions taken for each GP are accurate. The Estimate form in PCSE Online will auto-populate from with the detail of all current GPs for whom the practice has completed a Joiner form. The practice should enter the pensionable income and tier rate for each GP.

It is important that the Esimate is as accurate as possible, to avoid large adjustments when end of year certificates are reconciled.

If a Salaried GP's estimated income for that financial year changes during the year, the practice needs to submit a Salary Change form. The salary change does not have to happen at the start of the year or the start of the month, it can happen at any point in the year. The practice will need to select the Salaried GP from the list, enter the start date of the salary change, enter the new pensionable income amount and select the tier rate. Tick to confirm the changes and submit.

If a Principal GP or non-GP Partner's salary changes throughout the year, it is best practice to update the Estimate form with the change of income and tier rate. 

The timing of when your new estimate will take effect depends on when you submitted your estimate and what your contractual payment date is.

Estimates submitted via PCSE online are immediately updated in the system whereas paper form Estimates submitted via our Contact Us page require manual processing and may take up to 45 days.

To help you understand why you may have a GP missing from your Estimate form, or a GP included who is no longer at your practice, please check out our Practice Manager guide to Pension Contributions.

To check the Pensionable Pay and Tier Rates you have submitted on your practice Estimate, go to the Estimate Listing screen on PCSE Online. If you spot any errors in the data you have submitted please update the figures and resubmit the estimate.

Submitting via PCSE Online

Estimates submitted via PCSE Online are immediately updated in the system and do not require any further manual processing. Over 70% of the 2022/23 Estimates that we have received have been submitted via PCSE Online.

Submitting a paper form

If you are unable to complete the Estimate using PCSE Online you can download the form on the NHSBSA website and submit to PCSE by visiting our Contact Us page and completing a new GP Pensions enquiry. Please be aware that due to the manual processing required with this method, this may result in the previous years annual income and tier rate being applied in your next contractual payment.

An adjustment will then be applied once the 2022/23 annual income and tier rate data are applied, where necessary.

Once your Estimate form has been processed, you will receive confirmation from the PCSE Pensions Team. In the case of missing information, we will contact you, or your nominated representative, to request the additional detail.

If a 2022/23 Estimate of Pensionable Profits/Pay has not been received for a GP or non-GP provider, their 2021/22 annual income and tier rate have been carried over to 2022/23. This may result in over or under payment of contributions throughout the year.

Please use PCSE Online to submit your estimate as soon as possible to ensure the correct annual income and tier rate data is applied in your next contractual payment and accurate contributions are deducted for Pension Scheme Members.

Only users with the Estimates role on the PCSE Online account will be able to submit Estimates. This role can be assigned to you by your practice user administrator. If you are unsure who your practice user administrator is, please contact pcse.user-registration@nhs.net.

Please note: if you have a GP that is showing incorrectly on the estimates form as either Salaried or Partner, this needs to be updated by the user administrator at your practice.

Partner employment changes must be approved by the practice user administrator before your Commissioner is able to approve them.

If this has been completed and is still not showing correctly, please contact pcse.performerlist@nhs.net.

It is a legal requirement that practices provide the estimated pensionable earnings of every GP or non-GP provider attached to their practice (excluding locums) each year, including all new GP or non-GP providers that join your practice during the year.

This will make sure that the right deductions are being taken from your practice each month and prevent any large adjustments being made at the end of the financial year.

An Estimate of GP (and non-GP) Providers NHS Pensionable Profits/Pay must be used to provide PCSE with projected pensionable pay so that the monthly contribution deductions for GP’s and Non-Clinical Partners are as accurate as possible. This will reduce outstanding contributions at year end.

An Estimate should include all GP and non-GP/non-clinical partners.