Changes to your salary or working hours
Your NRDC contributions are calculated on your Pensionable Earnings or Qualifying Earnings.
Therefore, if your pay increases, due to a promotion, pay rise or an increase to your working hours, your NRDC contributions will increase.
Additionally, if your pay reduces, due to a pay decrease or a reduction in your working hours, your NRDC contributions will decrease.
Secondment
As NRDC contributions are calculated based upon your pay, if you are seconded to a post with a higher or lower salary, both yours and Network Rail’s NRDC contributions will either increase or decrease in line with the pay you receive.
Due to the flexible contribution structure of NRDC, you are able to change your NRDC contribution rate in order to maintain the same level of NRDC contributions that you paid in your substantive post.
Career Break
If Network Rail agrees to your application for a career break, these are usually unpaid. Therefore, neither you nor Network Rail will pay NRDC contributions for the duration of the career break and this is treated as a ‘break in service’ for NRDC pension purposes.
You will continue to be covered for death in service benefits for the duration of the career break, subject to the insurer’s terms and conditions.
Marriage or in a relationship
If you’re a Network Rail employee and an NRDC member, it is important that you keep both Network Rail and the pension scheme administrators updated with your marital status, whether you’re married, have a civil partner or are in a long-term relationship.
If you’re married, have a civil partner, or you’re in a long-term relationship with someone who may rely on your financially, they may be entitled to benefits when you die.
You may need to update your Expression of Wish Form to ensure the Trustee is aware of your wishes about the payment of any lump sum death benefit whilst you are employed by Network Rail.
You can update your Expression of Wish Form electronically in your online NRDC Member Account.
Please note, Expression of Wish Forms completed before February 2021 are not held electronically so will not show in your online NRDC Member Account.
For further information about what happens to your NRDC pension benefits when you die, please visit the what happens when you die section.
Maternity, paternity and adoption
Whilst you are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, you and Network Rail will continue to pay NRDC contributions, however these will be based on the actual pay that you receive.
If you have a period of unpaid maternity, paternity or adoption leave then no NRDC contributions will be deducted until you return to work and your pay resumes.
During any paid and unpaid period of maternity, paternity or adoption leave, you will continue to be covered for death in service benefits, subject to the insurer’s terms and conditions.
Following your return to work, you can elect to pay NRDC contributions for the period that you were on unpaid maternity, paternity or adoption leave.
If you do not return to work your NRDC membership will end with effect from the last day you paid NRDC contributions.
Divorce or Dissolution of a Civil Partnership
When working out a financial settlement as part of a divorce, your pension benefits may be taken into consideration which could affect your NRDC pension.
A court order, known as a Pensions Sharing Order, can be made and stipulated by the Court to transfer part of the value of your NRDC pension benefits to your ex-spouse or ex-civil partner. If this is the case, it would mean your NRDC pension benefits would be subsequently reduced.
You can request a Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV) for divorce purposes by contacting NetworkRailPensions@wtwco.com. Please note there may be a charge for providing this information.
Additionally, as part of a Pensions Sharing Order, you may be entitled to a portion of your ex-spouse or ex-civil partners pension benefits. In this case, you may be able to transfer these benefits into your NRDC pension.
To see if you are able to transfer benefits derived from a Pension Sharing Order into your NRDC pension please contact NetworkRailPensions@wtwco.com.