Your pension is split into different elements, which increase at different rates, depending upon whether you have reached your Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) age of 60 (for women) or 65 (for men).

Your pension (excluding the GMP and the State Pension Element) will increase by the lower of 5% a year, or the rise in line with the Retail Prices Index (RPI) over a particular period.

You will be sent a letter each November detailing your pension increases.

You can read more about pension increases in the Member handbook and in the Frequently Asked Questions.

This leaflet will help you find answers to questions you may have once you start receiving your pension.

Keeping us up to date with any changes to your personal circumstances helps us pay you and your dependants the right benefits. It also means that should anything happen to you, your wishes are understood by the Trustee.

You should contact us if you:

• notice that any of your personal details are incorrect – contact ICI Pensions Services
• change your name – complete the Change of personal details form and provide relevant official documentation supporting your change of name (e.g. original marriage certificate, certificate of civil partnership or deed poll documentation – these will be returned to you by special delivery).
• change your address – complete the Change of personal details form
• change your marital or civil partnership status – complete the Change of personal details form and provide your original marriage certificate, certificate of civil partnership or decree absolute (this will be returned to you by special delivery). Your marital status will only be changed once ICI Pensions Services see an original copy of your certificate.
• haven’t yet provided details of your dependant children – complete the Change of personal details form
• change your bank details – complete the Bank details form
• would like someone to be considered for a dependant’s pension benefit in the event of your death – complete a Nominated Dependant’s pension – Nomination form

Once you’ve completed any forms, please return a signed, hard copy by post to ICI Pensions Services.

The Trustee takes the security of your personal information very seriously. Therefore we require any changes to your personal details to be made in writing with your signature to help protect you from fraud. Please note the ICI Pensions Services team will never ask you to confirm changes to your personal information over the phone or by email.

If you are a member whose marriage or civil partnership is being dissolved, your pension settlements and entitlements are generally handled through the courts. The following steps normally happen in relation to your pension:

1. You should ask ICI Pensions Services for a transfer value, which shows what benefits you’re entitled to from the Fund at that point. You can provide this transfer value to the court.
2. The court will determine the proportion of pension benefits, if any, that will be awarded to your ex-spouse or ex-civil partner. This is detailed in a Court Order.

Note: the Trustee cannot take into account any interim or informal financial arrangements in respect of your pension benefits that are not detailed in a Court Order.

3. You should send the Court Order to ICI Pensions Services.
4. ICI Pensions Services will act upon the Court Order instruction and liaise with your ex-spouse or ex-civil partner about their proportion of the benefits.
5. ICI Pensions Services will then provide you with details of your new entitlement from the Fund.

Note: there are administration charges for carrying out this process – ask for a copy of charges from ICI Pensions Services.

Planning for what happens to your pension benefits in the event of your death is not something many of us like to think about. However, you should think about the benefits payable so that your wishes can be carried out.

If you die while you are a pensioner, the benefits that may be payable can include:

• A spouse’s or civil partner’s pension; and
• In some instances, children’s pensions.