Voluntary Redundancy Scheme FAQs

Updated on Wednesday 4 March

Q: What is voluntary redundancy?
A: Voluntary redundancy is a process where employees can apply to leave the organisation in return for a redundancy payment. It allows the organisation to reduce staff numbers or consider alternative structures.

Q: Is voluntary redundancy guaranteed if I apply?
A: No. Eligible staff can apply to leave via voluntary redundancy, but the Trust decides whether or not to accept that application.

Q. When is the scheme open for applications?
A. The scheme opens on Wednesday 18 February and closes on Tuesday 10 March 2026 at midnight.

Q. How do I apply?
A. Apply with this simple form.

(full web address -  https://forms.office.com/e/M0XUdrPzTe)

Q. What questions will be asked on the application form?
A. We hope to make the application process as simple as possible. We will however, be asking for your employee number. This can be found on your Payslip or ESR portal.

Q. Are there any exceptions to the 3 week window application period?
A. No, exceptions may delay the decision-making process for all applications and for this reason we are not planning to accept any exceptions.
If any people require reasonable adjustments, to enable them to make an application, please contact the Voluntary Redundancy email and support will be made available: dpt.vr@nhs.net

Q. Where can I access support for my wellbeing?
A. If you are facing problems at work or at home, you can access impartial, confidential advice from qualified counsellors for many different issues via Vivup's Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). Help is available 24/7, 365 days a year through their free helpline number 0800 023 9324.

Q: Who is eligible to apply for voluntary redundancy?
A: The Trust scheme is only open to certain groups of staff in the organisation, this is set out below.

The Trust scheme excludes the following staff:

• Staff who are in pay bands up to and including Band 6 and work in a clinical/patient facing role
• Medical Doctors
• Those on NHS England Training Contracts.

Other criteria is outlined below:

• Employees on substantive contracts directly employed by Devon Partnership NHS Trust. It is not open to those who are on bank or agency agreements or those assigned to the Trust from local authorities
• Employees must have a minimum of two years' continuous NHS Service with one or more NHS employer with a break of no more than one statutory week
• Some staff groups or roles may be excluded due to critical service requirements.
• The scheme is not applicable to employees that have already formally given notice of their resignation/retirement or been notified of the date of the termination of their contract of employment for any other reason at the date of the official launch of the scheme.
• The scheme is not applicable to employees who have been informed of an impending transfer out of the organisation to another employer, for example a TUPE transfer.
• Employees subject to the organisations Promoting a Positive Workplace Environment Policy may apply, but a decision may be deferred until such time that the relevant process has concluded.

Q. What is meant by 'patient facing' roles?
A. Patient facing roles include all people who provide care to our patients. 

Q: Where can I get advice?
A: Decisions which impact on pension arrangements and financial situations are extremely important individual decisions. We would therefore strongly encourage you to take independent, qualified financial pensions advice before making any decisions that may affect your pension. Seeking this advice is entirely at your own discretion and any costs must be wholly borne by you. If you are a member of a Trade Union, you may be able to access independent financial and legal advice from them.

Q. What is the timeline for this scheme and decision making?

Once Renumeration and Terms of Service Committee approval has been reached outcomes can be shared with colleagues and their line managers. Appeal procedures will be available and clear next steps will be set out for each applicant.

Q: Are bank workers eligible for NHS redundancy?
A: The NHS terms and conditions of service does not cover contractual redundancy arrangements for bank workers. As outlined above, bank or agency workers are excluded.

Q: What if I am on a fixed term contract?
A: If the reason for ending  the fixed term contract will be redundancy and you have two years continuous service, you may be eligible for voluntary redundancy.

Q: How is a redundancy payment calculated?
A: The redundancy payment will be calculated on the basis of one month's pay for each complete year of reckonable service, subject to a minimum of two years' continuous service and a maximum of 24 years' reckonable service being counted.

For those earning less than £23,000 per year (full time equivalent), the redundancy payment will be calculated using notional full-time annual earnings of £23,000, pro-rated for employees working less than full time

For those earning over £80,000 per year (full time equivalent) the redundancy payment will be calculated using notional full-time annual earnings of £80,000, pro-rated for employees working less than full time. No redundancy payment will exceed £160,000 (pro-rata).

A formal estimate will be provided if your application progresses.

Q. What is the definition of a month's pay?
A. Month's pay means whichever is the more beneficial of the following calculations:

• 4.35 times a week's pay, calculated in accordance with the provisions of Sections 221 to 224 of the Employment Rights Act 1996;
• an amount equal to 1/12th of the annual salary.
  
  

Q: What is the difference between continuous service and reckonable service?
A: Continuous service is full-time or part-time service working under a contract of employment with an NHS Employer. NHS employers are listed at Annex 1 in the Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook.

For the purpose of determining eligibility for redundancy pay, previous continuous employment with different NHS employers may be counted as long as there has not been a break of a week or more (measured Sunday to Saturday) between any periods of employment. Bank/agency work directly into a Trust or via NHSP does not qualify as continuous service.

Reckonable service, for the purposes of an NHS redundancy payment, which is calculated on the basis of the service up to the date of termination of the contract, means continuous full-time or part-time employment with the present or any previous NHS employer but with the following additions:

• where there has been a break in service of 12 months or less, the period of employment prior to the break will count as reckonable service;
• The following employment will not count as reckonable service:
  • employment that has been taken into account for the purposes of a previous redundancy, or loss of office payment by an NHS employer;
  • where the employee has previously been given NHS pension benefits, any employment that has been taken into account for the purposes of those pension benefits.

Q: How are continuous service dates and reckonable service dates used for the Voluntary Redundancy Scheme?
A: To be eligible for redundancy pay, employees must have at the date of termination of their contract, at least two years continuous service; this includes two years service in the NHS Pension.
The reckonable service date will determine the number of full 'years' used to calculate a redundancy payment.

We will verify all continuous service dates and reckonable service dates by triangulating information that is available to us via application forms, records on ESR and MyStaff file and pensions information ahead of requesting estimates.

The continuous service and reckonable service dates used for your redundancy payment estimate will be shared with you to allow you to verify it as well and any queries will be jointly worked through.

Q: What if I have several breaks in service, but when the breaks are added together they are less than 23 months?
A: Providing you satisfy the qualification/continuity of service criteria for redundancy, then the period(s) between the breaks count as reckonable service for redundancy purposes, although the period of the break itself will not count.

Q: How is a redundancy payment calculated for staff earning less than £23,000 per year (full time equivalent)?
A: The redundancy payment will be calculated as if the earnings were £23,000 (pro rated for employees working less than full time), subject to the minimum two-year qualifying period and a maximum of 24 years of reckonable service.

Q: How will a redundancy payment be calculated for staff earning more than £80,000 per year?
A: The redundancy payment will be calculated as if the earnings were £80,000, subject to the minimum two-year continuous service qualifying period and a maximum of 24 years of reckonable service.

Q. How will a redundancy payment be calculated for staff earning more than £23,000 per year but less than £80,000 per year?
A. The calculation of the redundancy payment will remain unchanged.

Q: Example calculation - An employee is working part time 18.75 hours per week (0.5 FTE) and earns £50,000 pa. They have more than 24 years' continuous service. What would their redundancy payment be?
A: The full time equivalent (FTE) earnings is £100,000 and therefore for the purposes of the calculation the cap of £80,000 will be used:
(Annual earnings/12 months x Number of years' reckonable service) x full time equivalent = redundancy payment.
(£80,000/12 x 24 years' reckonable service) x 0.5 FTE = £80,000.

Q. What happens if I have two concurrent part time roles with DPT?
A. You can still apply for voluntary redundancy for one, or both part time roles with DPT. 

Q. Is redundancy pay subject to tax?
A. The first £30,000 is tax free. Anything above this is taxable.

Q. I have a continuous service anniversary date coming up soon and/or I am due an increment, how will this affect my redundancy pay?
A. The salary used for a redundancy calculation is based on a person's month's pay. For the purpose of the Voluntary Redundancy Scheme this will be calculated at the time notice of redundancy is given.

This will therefore be impacted by any salary changes (temporary or permanent).

Q. With regard the national NHS pay uplift from 1st April, will the voluntary redundancy settlement be calculated in the financial year in which I sign the agreement or the financial year in which I leave the Trust?
A. Should a person's redundancy calculation be completed after 1 April, and the pay uplift not be known to the Trust at the time of the calculation, adjustments will be made retrospectively and additional payments will be made where this uplift changes the figure for monthly pay.

Q: What happens if my application for Voluntary Redundancy is supported and I am over the minimum retirement age?
A: Employees who have reached minimum pension age and have two years' membership to the NHS pension scheme can opt to take their pension early. In effect, the employee buys out the reduction with their redundancy payment. If the redundancy payment is not sufficient to buy-out the full reduction then the employee can choose to make an additional payment at the time of the redundancy to make up the full or partial difference. (Section 16 (England): 16.14).
It is not the responsibility of the Trust to contribute to any shortfalls in the above.

Q: What about employees who have retired, returned to work in the NHS and subsequently made redundant? Does their previous NHS service count for redundancy?
A: Section 16.6 of the NHS terms and conditions of service handbook states that reckonable service does not count for employment where the member has taken pension benefits.
16.6 The following employment will not count as reckonable service:
employment that has been taken into account for the purposes of a previous redundancy, or loss of office payment by an NHS employer
where the employee has previously been given pension benefits, any employment that has been taken into account for the purposes of those pension benefits.

Q: What happens when an employee has taken partial retirement?
A: The NHS terms and conditions of service handbook, section 16.6 states the following employment will not count as reckonable service:
employment that has been taken into account for the purposes of a previous redundancy, or loss of office payment by an NHS employer
where the employee has previously been given NHS pension benefits, any employment that has been taken into account for the purposes of those pension benefits.

Therefore, any service calculating partial retirement benefits should not be taken into account for the purposes of calculating a contractual redundancy payment and this should be discounted for the purposes of a future redundancy payment.

Q. Can I apply for voluntary redundancy if I am on a career break?
A. Yes, you can apply for voluntary redundancy.  Service for the break itself will not be counted for the purposes of redundancy calculations and if your application is successful we will work through your redundancy calculation with you so you have all the information to inform your final decision.

Q: Am I entitled to a redundancy payment if I have previously been made redundant in the NHS?
A: Yes, but you must start again to build up your service before you would qualify again for redundancy. So in effect the clock starts again on return to work. Therefore, if you meet all qualifying criteria, you would be entitled to a redundancy payment for your reckonable service on return to NHS Employment. Service can only be counted once for the purpose of redundancy.

Q. Can I apply if I am on maternity leave, long-term sick leave, or another type of leave?
A. Yes. Staff on approved leave can usually apply for voluntary redundancy and will be treated no less favourably than other employees.
Staff on leave are being informed of the scheme via letter and with the support of line manager conversations.

What happens if my application is approved?
If approved:

• You will receive a formal offer in writing
• A leaving date will be agreed
• You may be required to work your notice period or may leave earlier by agreement.
• You will be required to sign a settlement agreement to confirm all of the details relevant to leaving via the voluntary redundancy scheme.
• Redundancy payments will normally be made in your final salary payment.

Q: Can the Trust refuse my application?
A: Yes. Applications may be declined. You will be informed of the outcome and the reasons for the decision. Employees whose application is unsuccessful may be able to re-apply in future schemes (if they run).

Q. Can I withdraw my application?
A. An application can be withdrawn at any time up to the point when a settlement agreement is signed.
To withdraw from the scheme after you have made an application complete this brief online form.

Or use this QR code:

Q: Will I be able to return to work in the NHS after voluntary redundancy?
A: Employees who leave under voluntary redundancy and are re-employed with an NHS Employer, a government department or an arm's length body will be required to repay some or all of their voluntary redundancy payment. This is known as clawback.
The clawback period depends on the amount of voluntary redundancy payment and the individual terms and conditions. The table below sets out these arrangements.

Employees will be asked to disclose any redundancy payment they have received to prospective employers, and appropriate redundancy clawback arrangements will be contained within the terms of the settlement agreement.
In all cases, the formal settlement agreement will specify the requirements to repay monies in such circumstances so you can fully understand this before finalising your decision.

Q. What counts for a NHS Trust, government department or an arm's length body?
A. This includes:

• NHS Trusts including Foundation Trusts
• Special health authorities
• Integrated Care Boards
• NHS England (which incorporates Monitor and NHS Trust Development Agency (NHS Improvement), The Health and Social Care Information Centre (NHS Digital) and Health Education England)))
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
• Health Research Authority
• NHS Blood and Transplant
• NHS Business Service Authority
• NHS Counter Fraud Authority
• NHS Resolution
• The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB)

Q. How does the scheme 'clawback' apply if I already am already employed by another NHS Trust, a government department or an arm's length body?
A. The clawback terms will only apply to new employment with another NHS Trust, a government department or an arm's length body following ending employment with DPT by reason of voluntary redundancy.

Q: What happens if I have already given my notice to leave the Trust, for example resignation or retirement?
A: The scheme is not open to employees that have already given notice of their resignation/retirement or have been notified of the termination of their contract of employment for any other reason at the date of the official launch of the scheme.

Q: What happens if I am already subject to a TUPE transfer?
A: The scheme is not open to employees who have been informed of a planned transfer out of the organisation to another employer with the function in which they work.

Q: What happens if I am subject to a formal HR process under the Trust's HR01 Promoting a Positive Working Environment Policy?
A: You may still apply for voluntary redundancy. Each application will be considered alongside the ongoing HR matter. A decision may be deferred until such a time that the relevant process has concluded.

Q: How do notice periods and pay get agreed with voluntary redundancy?
A: If your application is successful, you will be required to work your notice period. There will be no payment in lieu of notice (PILON).
Your period of notice will be: four weeks' notice or one weeks' notice for each continuous year of service with DPT up to a maximum of twelve weeks, whichever is the greater.
Contractual notice periods can be varied with agreement from both the employer and the employee so this can be explored as an alternative to working a full contractual notice if requested by an employee. You are encouraged to seek independent advice before making this as a request.

Q: What happens to any annual leave or TOIL?
A: You are expected to use any outstanding annual leave or hours owed to you before your agreed leaving date.
If, due to exceptional circumstances and with prior agreement from the Chief People Officer or Deputy Chief People Officer this is not possible, any outstanding annual leave or TOIL owed would be paid.
You are expected to work any hours owed to the Trust prior to an agreed leave date, if this is not possible, deductions from final salary payments will be made.

Q: What happens if I owe the Trust money, for example from a historic salary overpayment?
A: Any monies owed to the Trust will be reclaimed in full prior to or as part of final salary payments. This will be outlined in any final agreements with you where it applies.

Q. What happens if I have taken advantage of a salary sacrifice scheme before voluntary redundancy was announced?
A. Although this is a voluntary redundancy scheme, any outstanding monies owed on salary sacrifice schemes, or early termination fees will be paid by DPT.

In a redundancy situation, the monthly salary used for a redundancy calculation will be based on your salary BEFORE the salary sacrifice deductions are made.

Q: What happens to my role if I leave via the voluntary redundancy scheme?
A: The scheme is a redundancy scheme and therefore where an application for voluntary redundancy is approved by the Trust, the role will be removed from our workforce structure.

Q: What is the selection criteria for approving voluntary redundancy applications?
A: The Trust will review applications based on the following selection criteria:
Whether a member of staff's post is likely to exist in future structures
The impact of the loss of knowledge, skills, organisational intelligence/corporate knowledge and experience of the individual concerned
Whether there will be an adequate skill mix as part of proposed organisational design to allow a service to continue to be provided
Ability to reorganise remaining workload to absorb some elements of work done by applicant (e.g. posts that are business critical)
Number of applicants received from within any one function should not represent a risk to business continuity
Impact on any related services and departments within the organisation
The extent of severance costs against the recurrent saving.

Q: Who will see my application for voluntary redundancy?
A: Applications will be progressed by the People Services Department, they will be considered by the Service Director (or equivalent) of your Directorate or Department and considered by a senior trust panel.
On receipt of an application, your line manager may be required to contribute to ensure the Trust understands the impact of making the role redundant however they are not a decision maker (unless a member of the Trust panel).

Q. If successful, will I still get a reference if I decide to apply for other jobs?
A. Yes, voluntary redundancy is a reason for your employment ending. A factual reference will be provided to you in the usual way.

Q: If I am interested in applying and want to talk with someone, who do I speak to?
A: Please read all of the FAQs to inform your decision. If you are a member of a union you may wish to ask them for guidance or you can obtain independent financial advice. The People Team can answer questions about the process: dpt.vr@nhs.net

Q. Will my line manager and/or colleagues be informed if I apply for the VR scheme?
A. Your line manager will not be informed at the time that an application is made.  When the application window closes that Directorate/ Department leadership team will receive a list of all applications within their service area.  The leadership team will review applications and make recommendations to the Trust Panel as per the criteria for the scheme.  During this period the leadership team are likely to discuss an application with a person's line manager to ensure that an appropriate recommendation is made.
When the Trust panel has concluded and the outcome of a person's application is confirmed this will be communicated to the applicant and their line manager.

Q. I have a second job with another (non-NHS) employer, would this be affected if I left the Trust via the VR scheme?
A. Secondary employment is unlikely to be impacted by leaving DPT through voluntary redundancy.  You will however need to discuss this directly with the other employer.

Q. If leave the Trust through the Voluntary Redundancy scheme, when can I expect to receive my final pay and redundancy pay?
A. Final salary payments will be made in the usual way as per our planned payroll dates.  It is anticipated that the redundancy payment will be made at the same time, however, details about final payments will be communicated to all staff leaving through voluntary redundancy nearer the time.

Q. How are people away from work being communicated with about the Scheme?
A. All staff currently away from work (i.e. on family leave or career breaks or long term absence) will receive a letter about the launch of the Voluntary Redundancy Scheme.  However, it is essential that line managers ensure their staff are aware of the scheme and have equal opportunity to consider applying for Voluntary Redundancy.

Q. What is the definition of an NHS England Training Contracts? 

A.NHS England training are established learning agreements for trainees usually cover these roles i.e. postgraduate doctors in training and return to practice and allied health professionals on specific training pathways.

Q. If I have a DPT bank assignment and leave through Voluntary Redundancy what will happen to my DPT Bank contract?
A. On leaving your Bank Assignment with DPT will also end.

Q. Are Multi Professional Approved Clinicians (MPACs) eligible to apply for voluntary redundancy?
A. Yes.

Q. Where can I access support for my wellbeing?
A. If you are facing problems at work or at home, you can access impartial, confidential advice from qualified counsellors for many different issues via Vivup's Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). Help is available 24/7, 365 days a year through their free helpline number 0800 023 9324. Additional Health and Wellbeing support is available via the staff intranet.

Q: What happens if I have taken advantage of a salary sacrifice scheme before the voluntary redundancy was announced?  (New -- added 17 Feb)

A:  Although this is a voluntary redundancy scheme, any outstanding monies owed on salary sacrifice schemes, or early termination fees will be  paid by DPT.

In a redundancy situation, the monthly salary used for a redundancy calculation will be based on your salary BEFORE the salary sacrifice deductions are made.

Q: Where can I find Wellbeing Support during this change process? (New -- added 18 Feb)

A: The  voluntary redundancy scheme wellbeing support DAISY page.

Q. Where can I receive independent financial guidance?  (New -- added 18 Feb)

A. The Money and Pensions Service (MAPS) have pension technical specialists who provide free support for colleagues and can be contacted on 0800 011 379. You can also seek independent financial advice and guidance or you may be able to access support via a Union if you are a member.

The Trust is in the process of arranging financial wellbeing webinars related to voluntary redundancy and pensions. Please look for details on DAISY or email the  dpt.staffhealthandwellbeing@nhs.net team to be added to the delegate list.