Absence and pensions contributions

There are all kinds of reasons why we may be absent from work such as illness, child related leave, strike breaks and unpaid leave. How this may affect your pension is explored below.

To make up for 'lost' pension from these periods of absence, you may consider paying additional pension contributions (APCs) either regularly over a number of complete years, or as a one-off lump sum.

To find out the cost of paying APCs, use the link on the right hand-side of this page to access an online calculator, and if you want to go ahead, make an application. You can find more information on how to use APCs to buy back lost pension on our AVCs and SCAVCs webpage.