The Clergy pension scheme is split into two sections. Here, we walk you through them and help you manage your stakeholders' pensions.

The Clergy pension scheme is split into two sections:

  • Church of England Pension Measures (CEPM), which covers benefits before 1998
  • Church of England Funded Pension Scheme (CEFPS), which covers benefits since 1998

How to sign up as a Responsible Body

If your work is associated with the Church of England, you are welcome to use the Clergy pension scheme.

How to get started

  1. Make sure you understand how CEFPS works; it’s different to a final salary scheme
  2. Before you sign up, check that you meet all your auto-enrolment requirements
  3. If you are happy to join, complete a Participation Agreement, and we’ll set you up and let you know how to enrol members

Pension scheme rules

Before joining, you are welcome to read a copy of our full Trust Deed and Rules.

What do I need to know?

How much does it cost?

The current contribution, from April 2025, is 22% of the previous years’ National Minimum Stipend. We review this every three years so it may change over time. If someone works part-time, their contribution is calculated pro-rata based on their hours.

How we collect contributions

We collect contributions by direct debit from your bank account at the end of each month.

Contributions are fixed for each quarter. If someone joins, leaves or changes hours during the quarter we’ll adjust contributions in the next quarter - either collecting extra or issuing a refund.

How to enrol new members

If the person is paid by the Church Commissioners, you don’t need to tell us. The Church Commissioners payroll team will set them up.

If you pay the person locally, fill out this form and send it to us and we'll set this person up.

Who can I enrol?

Anyone can join if they:

  • are a bishop, priest, deacon or deaconess of the Church of England, or,
  • have a Bishops’ Licence.

If you are unsure whether someone meets this, get in touch with us, and we’ll be happy to check and confirm they can join.

Can costs be split?

In some cases, a member’s pension contributions are funded by more than one organisation. However, we can only collect contributions from one bank account.

You’ll need to decide which organisation is best placed to:

  • Pay the full contribution to us each month
  • Reconcile the costs between the contributing organisations

Even if a member is paid locally, their contributions can still be paid by the Diocese.

What if someone changes their hours?

If the person is paid by the Church Commissioners, you don’t need to do anything.

If the person is paid locally, just email us and let us know the change.

What if someone leaves?

If the person is paid by the Church Commissioners, the Church Commissioners’ Payroll team will let us know. You don’t need to do anything.

If you pay the person locally, fill out this form and send it to us, and we will stop contributions.

Ill-health retirement

We understand that health challenges can sometimes make it difficult for someone to continue working. If you believe a colleague may need to retire due to ill health, here’s how we can support you:

  1. Explore Occupational Health first: Before considering retirement, the first step should be to explore whether their role can be adapted or adjusted through Occupational Health. This might include changes to duties, hours, or working conditions.
  2. When retirement becomes necessary: If it becomes clear that continuing in any role isn’t possible, and the individual meets our ill health retirement criteria, we may be able to pay their pension early. Find out more about the steps for ill health retirement.
  3. In cases of serious ill health: If someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness and is expected to live for less than 12 months, please contact us immediately. We can provide urgent support and guidance in these situations.
For Employers and Responsible Bodies
For Clergy Responsible Bodies
Explore further