Frequently asked questions

Answer:

If you re-join the scheme, you will begin to build up membership towards a new set of pension benefits, in addition to your deferred benefits.

You will usually have the option of keeping these two sets of benefits separate or joining them together to form just one set of benefits. You normally only have 12 months from the date you join to choose to link your deferred membership to your new membership, so you should find out about this as soon as possible.

Answer:

There are a number of considerations to be made so you you should read all the options before making a decision. 

Keeping your deferred benefits separate

If you do this, you will build up new benefits with your new job, so you will have two sets of benefits. Your deferred benefits will be worked out using the membership and final pay when you left plus any Pensions Increase due from the date you left up to the date that we pay them to you. The benefits from your new job will be worked out using the membership you have built up in that job and your final pay when you leave or retire from the new job.

Linking your deferred benefits

If you transfer your deferred benefits to count with the membership in your new job, you will have only one set of benefits and these will be worked out using the total membership you have built up in both jobs and the final pay in your new job. However, if you were to leave within 12 months of starting your new job, your final pay figure would be worked out using some of the pay from your previous job.

If your pay in your new job is higher or is likely to be higher than the pay your deferred benefits are based on (plus any inflation increases), then transferring your membership may produce the best results. But if you think your pay in your new job is unlikely to end up higher, you may want to leave your deferred benefits separate.

There are several other things to bear in mind, including:

  • If there is a big gap between the two jobs, your benefits in respect of the new job may have a later retirement age than your deferred benefits based on the previous job.  If you transfer your earlier membership you might end up with a later retirement age for this too
     
  • If you die before you retire, the benefits would depend upon whether you kept your periods of membership separate or not
     
  • You can decide to transfer within the first 12 months of joining, but not normally after this

Even if in the future you take up another job covered by the LGPS, you will not normally get a second chance to transfer your deferred benefits, so these will normally stay separate.

Answer:

Yes, even if you asked for deferred benefits when you left, you can ask to transfer them out at some point in the future. But if you have reached (or are close to) retirement age a transfer may not be possible. In this case please contact us.

Also, some schemes, including the LGPS, restrict inward transfers, so speak to your new scheme to see if they will accept a transfer and if there are any time limits.

 

Answer:

You must do this within 12 months of joining the fund in order to transfer any benefits. Which previous benefits you can transfer will then depend on when they were awarded to you and whether you have had the option to transfer them in the past or not.

Answer:

From 2020, we will be communicating through our website, email and my pension online (the online self-service facility where you can view your pension details). You can sign up to my pension online, now if you haven’t done so already.

This will include your annual benefit statement. This statement will be available to you online in the summer.

But if you don’t want to use these electronic methods or don’t have online access you can continue to receive paper communications, you just need to write into us to let us know. Please include your:

  • name
     
  • date of birth
     
  • National Insurance number
Displaying 1 to 5 of 5