The contribution rate for scheme members is 6 per cent. of pensionable pay, however members classed as manual workers pay 5 per cent. NHS employers and the national health service trade unions have proposed a new tiered contribution structure with the rate of employee contributions tiered by pensionable pay.
The NHS pension scheme pensionable payroll as at 31 March 2006, taken from the resource accounts, was approximately £31 billion. Increasing the member contribution rate across the board by 1 per cent. of pensionable pay would yield just over £0.3 billion a year.