Known issues

Unable to access your online account – Login after 3 November 2025

My Pension Portal was updated on 3 November 2025. If you have not used the new My Pension Portal service since the upgrade, you will be required to follow a quick registration process in order to maintain access to your online account. From the login page, please select the option to "create an account" button and follow the step-by-step instructions. A registration tutorial video is also available on the login page to provide assistance with accessing the portal.

  

 

Activation code/email has expired

If your activation code has been posted to your home address, this will expire 30 days from the date of the letter. If you have not activated your account in time you will need to re-register to use the portal. 

If your email address has been previously registered with us, a registration link to complete the sign-up process will be sent to that email address. However, it should be noted that this link is single use. Once you have clicked it you will have to finish the sign-up process. If the link has expired, you will need to re-register in order to receive a new email registration link. 

 

I have tried my activation code but received an error

If you have tried an activation code but are receiving an error message, “Your details did not match our records or you are already registered”, this may be due to the fact that you have requested multiple activation codes. Every time you register for the portal, this generates a new activation code meaning any previously issued codes will now be invalid. Please do not request a further activation key before the one you have been sent has expired, as this will delay your sign-up process.

 

I cannot remember my password

Should you subsequently forget your password please use the Forgotten your Password? link to reset your password.

 

 

Your personal details do not match our records

When you are creating an account, you will be prompted to confirm your details. You may receive the following error message if we are unable to trace a record for you: “Your details did not match our records or you are already registered”. 

If you have only recently commenced your pensionable employment, we may not have yet set up a pension record for you. We would expect to receive new starter details the month after the first pension contribution is deducted from your employer’s payroll. It should be noted that the “welcome letter” will include information on how to register for the portal. 

Please also note that you will also be unable to register an account if we hold two separate pension records for you which have not been linked together. This may be the case if you are in receipt of retirement compensation in addition to your main LGPS benefits e.g. Teachers’ Compensatory Added Years. If you are experiencing any difficulties registering for the portal, please email pension services colleagues who will be able to assist you. 

Email: pensionsonline@staffordshire.gov.uk

 

Pension sharing order

If a pension sharing order debit has been applied to your record, this adjustment will not be reflected in the estimate figures obtained from the online "Benefit calculators" and consequently the amounts shown will be overstated.

 

McCloud Judgment

Please note that estimate figures obtained from the online "Benefit calculators" will not include any extra pension which you may be entitled to following the age discrimination case commonly known as McCloud. We will work out the final underpin pension payable (Guarantee Amount) when you take your pension. The final amount will depend on a number of factors, including your age when you retire. Please note that very few of our members are affected.

You can find out more about the judgment by reading the McCloud pages of our website. 

 

 

Unable to view nominated beneficiaries 

If you have previously completed a paper version of the Nomination of a Beneficiary for Death Grant form, this will be held on your pension record, but it will not show in the portal. You can check your latest Annual Benefit Statement which should show the date you last completed a paper form. 

Note: you may wish to complete a new nomination using your online account so going forward, you will then be able to view/amend nominee(s) without needing to contact the Fund. 

 

Multiple Pensioner Records not displaying correctly

If you have multiple pension records in payment, we are aware of an error which is currently preventing you from navigating between your employments on the “Pension Details” tile. The pension amounts will only show the “Main” pension payroll record and not any “Subsidiary” employments you may have. 

This is due to be fixed in an upcoming release late 2025/early 2026. 

 

If you have pension rights with another Public Pension Scheme

Pease note that My Pension Portal is for Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) members only. If you have pension rights with another Public Pension Scheme (e.g. Teachers’ Pensions, NHS, Civil Service, Police or Firefighters’ Pension Scheme), you will only be able to access and view your LGPS pension record via the portal. Please contact your other pension scheme administrator for details of pension benefits held with them. 

 

If you have a BT email address

We have been made aware of an issue that some users with a BT email domain address (e.g. @btinternet.com or @btopenworld.com) are experiencing when trying to access the portal. It has been reported that some of the automated email messages are not being received and/or the activation links in the email are not working. 

We are currently investigating issue with our software provider. 

 

Unable to view AVC annual statements

If you have a linked Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) plan with one of our AVC Providers Standard Life, Utmost Life or Scottish Widows, your annual AVC statements will be available in the “Documents and uploads” section within My Pension Portal (MPP). 

However, we are aware of an error where the scanned document has not been associated with the correct file extension (.pdf). As a result, when trying to view the document, it may open with the wrong application. You may be able to get around the issue by right clicking the downloaded file and choosing the “Open with” function and then select “Choose another app”. From there, you can pick a different application to open the file such as Adobe Acrobat Reader. 

We are hoping that a permanent fix will be put in place shortly which will open file with correct application as the default.