Pension payment details
We will pay your pension to you monthly, in arrears, at one-twelfth (to the nearest penny) of the yearly rate. Your pension will be paid on the last banking day of each month. When a payment date falls on a public holiday, the payment date will be the working day before.
Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Pension Schemes - Pension payment dates for 2025 - 2026
| Payment dates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 April 2025 | 31 July 2025 | 31 October 2025 | 30 January 2026 |
| 30 May 2025 | 29 August 2025 | 28 November 2025 | 27 February 2026 |
| 30 June 2025 | 30 September 2025 | 19 December 2025 | 31 March 2026 |
Civil Service Pensions (CSP) administer and process the payment of pensions. You must inform us immediately if you have moved or changed bank accounts by using this form.
Paying your NICS pension
Method of payment
Your pension payments will be made by direct credit straight into your account. This method avoids delays and ensures that your bank account is credited on the day each payment becomes due. Payments can also be made to banks in the Irish Republic or overseas. Contact us directly for the appropriate form.
If the pensionable pay figure used in calculating your benefits should change due, for example, to a pay increase, which affects your award. We will write to you again with revised award details. You should note that if the change means that your best year of pensionable pay is later than the best year used in previous calculations, this may result in an overpayment of pensions increases.
This is because pensions increases accrue from the day after the last day of pensionable pay and if, as a result of a revision, that day is moved forward, the increases accrue for a shorter period. If this affects you we will write to you to explain and arrange recovery.
Voluntary deductions from pension
Voluntary deductions for certain benevolent and life insurance societies and organisations can be made from your pension. For contact details please view the full list of organisations available. Details of voluntary deductions currently made from your pay can be found on your most recent pay advice or deductions statement.
If you want deductions to be made, you must complete the relevant section of your Personal Details Form before retiring. If it is an organisation to which you have not contributed from your pay before, you must first make your own arrangements to join the organisation concerned. We cannot undertake to enrol pensioners with particular societies. Any enquiry about benefits, increase of your subscriptions, or conditions of membership, should be made direct to the society or organisation concerned.
Income tax
Your retirement lump sum is tax-free but your pension is treated as earned income. We will deduct any income tax that is due under the tax code notified by HM Revenue and Customs. Deductions may be provisional until we receive the proper code.
CSP has no part in deciding your tax liability or code, so please send any enquiry about your tax (quoting your pension reference and National Insurance number) to:
HM Revenue & Customs
Pay As You Earn
PO Box 1970
LIVERPOOL
L75 1WX
Telephone: 0845 300 0627
Web: www.hmrc.gov.uk
If tax has been deducted from your pension, we will send you form P60 after the end of each tax year to show the total pension paid and tax deducted in the year.
Find out more
For further information about how to commence or cease deductions after retirement please contact the Financial Services Unit. You can find their number on the contact us page.