New Members

The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is a statutory, funded pension scheme. As such it is very secure because its benefits are defined and set out in law.

Highlights of the LGPS are:

A secure pension

The benefits you get when you retire are based on your Career Average pay: you build up pension in your pot each year based on the pay you receive in that year. The pension you build up in your post is then increased by Consumer Prices Index (CPI) each year (both while you are in employment and after you leave or retire), so your pension keeps pace with cost of living increases.

Tax-free cash

You also have the option to exchange part of your pension for some tax-free cash on your retirement.

Peace of mind

Your family enjoys financial security, with immediate life cover and a pension for your husband, wife, civil partner or nominated co-habiting partner and eligible children, in the event of your death and, if you ever become seriously ill, you could receive immediate ill-health benefits.

Early retirement

You can choose to retire from age 55 and receive your benefits immediately, although they will be reduced for early payment if you take thm before age 65 or your State Pension Age (whichever is the later date). You may be able to retire form age 55 and receive immediate payment of benefits with a reduction if you are made redundant or retired in the interests of efficiency. If you become too ill to work at any age, your employer can agree to release payment of your benefits immedaitely without reduction and, depending on the likelihood of you working again before State Pension Age, you may be entitled to receive an enhanced pension.

Flexible retirement

If you reduce your hours or move to a less senior position at or after age 55 you can, provided your employer agrees, draw some or all of the benefits you have built up - helping you ease into retirement - although your benefits may be reduced for early payment.

Options to pay extra

You can boost your pension by paying more contributions. You get tax relief on these, too.

Also, as a member of the LGPS, your contributions will attract tax relief at the time they are deducted from your pay and, up to state pension age, you will also pay lower national insurance contributions on earnings between the lower and upper earnings limits, unless you have opted to pay the married woman's/widow's reduced rate of national insurance.

The LGPS is contracted-out of the state second pension (S2P).

Further information

For more information about the LGPS, please see our scheme guide.

New employees are normally automatically admitted to the scheme, if you are an existing employee and subject to any entry restrictions, you decide that you would like to join the scheme please print, complete and return the form below:

PDF Document  Election to join LGPS - PEN 3 PDF (257 KB)

Alternatively you can submit your election to join by e-mail. Please complete the Microsoft Word document below and save it as a new document on your computer:

Word Document  Election to join LGPS - PEN 3 Word (113 KB)

Once completed please attach it to an e-mail and send it to Pension Services:

Please note: information sent by this method is not encrypted. On receipt we will forward your election directly to your employer's payroll department.

Please note: in in all cases membership cannot commence until the first day of the pay period following receipt of your election.