OSPS APEs: Additional Voluntary Contributions

Please refer to the members section for further details on AVC options.

Monthly payments

If a member is interested in paying more contributions to increase their benefits under OSPS, the following form covers the various facilities and can be used to request a quotation from the scheme:

Request for AVC information (AVC1) form (72kb)

Please note that this is only an initial letter of request. We can also take requests for quotations over the telephone, by e-mail or secure fax.

If a member wishes to proceed on the basis of a quotation, we will send you a copy of a contract form signed by the member along with a formal request for you to commence additional deductions via your payroll. You should not deduct AVCs until you have received a copy of the contract form. If the member gives you the original contract form in error please keep a copy and send the original to us.

Please also ensure that AVCs are included in your monthly remittance and recorded on the annual return.

Lump sum payments

If a member is interested in paying a lump sum AVC into OSPS please ask them to contact the Pensions Office for further details.

If the member wishes to proceed there are two ways of collecting the payment. If the member has sufficient pay you could deduct the lump sum payment from their salary. If the member does not have sufficient pay the procedure is as follows:

  • the member should give you a cheque for the gross amount made payable to your college or institution;
  • you should increase the member’s pay by this amount – this pay element should not attract tax, NI or pension contributions;
  • you should deduct the gross amount from the member’s pay as an AVC.

Both of these procedures will ensure that the member gets the appropriate level of tax relief immediately through their salary. In both cases you should ensure that the lump sum AVC is included in your monthly remittance and recorded on the annual return. Please attach a note specifying the lump sum AVC you have processed, so that we can confirm receipt to the member.

If a member wishes to make a lump sum AVC after the final pay run of the tax year or after their final payslip has been processed then they should contact the Pensions Office. In these circumstances the member will have to pay a cheque directly to OSPS and claim any tax relief due from HMRC on their annual tax return.