Saving more with AVC Extra | British Transport Police Force Superannuation Fund

An introduction to AVC Extra

AVC Extra is an Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) arrangement. It is the main AVC arrangement for members of the 2007 and CARE sections. It is also open to Fund members who already pay the maximum amount that they can pay into BRASS and still want to pay more.

How AVC Extra works

Your AVC Extra contributions are paid into your Personal Retirement Account (PRA). This is an additional pot of money, held separately to your BRASS pot (if you have one) and your main DB pension with the Fund.

Your AVC Extra PRA is invested in a range of funds, with the aim of helping it grow over time.

You can choose to manage your own funds or have them managed for you. You can also check and change your fund choices at any time.

Depending on your age, you may not have to take your AVC Extra pot at the same time as you take your main Fund DB pension. But you must take your AVC Extra pot by your 75th birthday.

Check the following pages for more information:

how investments work - offering a general overview of investments and the choices you can make
AVC Extra fund choices - for details on the investment funds available
managing my AVC Extra - for information on how to change your fund choices
taking my AVC Extra - to understand how and when you can take your AVC Extra pot

How much you can pay into AVC Extra

You can choose how much you want to pay into AVC Extra, but you should be mindful of tax limits.

Regular AVC Extra contributions are taken from your pay by your payroll department and, like your contributions to the Fund and to BRASS for some 1970 Section members, they benefit from tax relief.

You can also make one off payments into AVC Extra if you wish. This needs to be done through your employer.

You can change or stop your AVC Extra contributions if you wish.

Check the managing my AVC Extra page to find out how.

How to join AVC Extra

You can join AVC Extra if:

you are already a contributing member of the 2007 and CARE Sections of the Fund
you are a contributing member of BRASS — the main Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) arrangement for members of the 1970 Section, and you are already contributing the maximum amount you’re allowed to pay into BRASS. Find out more on the saving more with BRASS page.

If you meet the criteria above and want to join AVC Extra please speak to your employer.

You may want to consider getting financial advice before you join BRASS or AVC Extra. Check the guidance and advice page for details.

For more information, please check the guide for AVC Extra members.

Each of Railpen Limited (registered in England and Wales No. 2315380) and Railway Pension Investments Limited (RPIL) (Registered in England and Wales No. 1491097) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Railways Pension Trustee Company Limited (Registered in England and Wales No. 2934539). Registered office for each company: 100 Liverpool Street, London EC2M 2AT. RPIL is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for some of its activities. The administration of occupational pension schemes is not a regulated activity. Full details about the extent of RPIL's authorisation and regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority are available from us on request.