Purchase/Transfer from other scheme

 

As a member of the Fund, you can purchase periods of service and/or membership at the Pension Fund in order to:

  • increase your benefits at the end of your contract;
  • be entitled to a retirement pension (if you have accumulated at least five years of service).

A purchase can be made at any time during your contract however the transfer must be completed before your contract end date.

Periods of Service and Membership

A period of service includes the period for which contributions have been paid and any periods purchased by transferring from another pension scheme in which provision is made for contributions by the employer.
A period of membership is a period of service (as defined above) and any periods purchased using a member’s own funds i.e. not a transfer from another pension scheme.

To find out more...

 

There are two types of purchase: 

TRANSFER FROM ANOTHER PENSION SCHEME

You may have worked at other organisations and contributed to other private pension schemes prior to your arrival at CERN/ESO. You may therefore want to transfer your previous “assets” into the CERN Pension Fund.
The Fund accepts transfers from worldwide pension schemes, allowing you to purchase additional months of service and membership. 

Calculation:

The calculation is based on your reference salary at the time of the request, to which a percentage is applied:
•    14.7% for the first 10 years bought in;
•    22% for each further year.

How to proceed:

  1. Please first contact your previous scheme to ensure that a transfer to the CERN Pension Fund is permitted (some schemes do not allow this);
  2. Provide the Fund’s Benefits Service (pension-benefits@cern.ch) with a breakdown from your previous pension scheme, mentioning the transferable amount;
  3. The Fund’s Benefits Service will simulate your benefits at the end of your contract, taking into account the transfer;
  4. If you agree to the transfer, based on the conditions and simulations provided by the Fund, the bank account details will be communicated to you.

OWN FUND PURCHASE

A purchase with own funds entitles you to greater benefits by increasing your period of membership. 
This type of purchase does not allow you to increase your period of service, for example to reach the 5 years of service (the minimum period for an entitlement to a retirement pension) if it was not already the case.
You should request approval from the Fund prior to making such a transfer.

Calculation:

The calculation is based on the reference salary at the time of the request, to which a percentage is applied, depending on:

  • your contract type;
  • your age at the date of the request if the request is made more than 12 months after the award of an indefinite contract;
  • your age at the new membership start date if the request is made more than 12 months after the award of an indefinite contract.

How to proceed:

  1. Please contact the Fund’s Benefits Service (pension-benefits@cern.ch) and mention the period that you would like to purchase or the amount that you would like to transfer in;
  2. The Fund’s Benefits Service will simulate your benefits at the end of your contract, taking into account the requested purchase;
  3. If you wish to proceed, based on the conditions and simulations provided, you should request approval from the Fund;
  4. If your request is approved, the Fund’s Benefits Service will provide you with its bank account details.

FAQ

Before coming to CERN, I contributed to other pension schemes. Can I transfer my contributions to the CERN Pension Fund?

Yes, the CERN Pension Fund accepts transfers from worldwide pension schemes. Please first contact your previous scheme to ensure that a transfer to the CERN Pension Fund is permitted (some schemes do not allow this).

I would like to increase my benefits. How can I do this?
  • Transfer from another pension scheme: the CERN Pension Fund accepts transfers from worldwide pension schemes. Please contact your previous pension scheme to ensure that a transfer is permitted.
  • Purchase using own funds: you have the option to buy periods of membership with your own funds. This kind of purchase is calculated according to rates defined in chapter III of the Fund’s Regulations, your reference salary at the time of the request, your age at the time of the request and your age when your membership began. The purchase can be paid as either a lump sum or in instalments (payment in instalments will be subject to interest and must not exceed three years).

Copyright © 2019 CERN

Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is provided for your convenience and to facilitate your understanding and interpretation of your pension rights and obligations. In the event of ambiguity or any inconsistency or conflict between the information provided on this website and the Fund’s Rules and Regulations, the latter will prevail. In particular, the decisions taken by the Fund will be based solely on the Fund’s Rules and Regulations.

Pursuant to a decision of the CERN Council on 17 December 2015, legally registered partnerships are treated as equivalent to marriage in determining family rights and obligations within the CERN pension scheme as from 1 January 2016.