Pension Increase
Your LGPS pension isn't fixed. It increases in line with the cost of living to help protect its value over time.
Each April, pensions are adjusted in accordance with the Pensions Increase (Review) Orders set by HM Treasury. The increase is linked to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figure from the previous September. This means if the cost of living rises, your pension will increase too.
For example, the 2026 increase is 3.8%, which will be applied to pensions in payment from 6 April 2026.
Under 55 or benefits paid early?
If you're under 55 you will get an increase if:
• You receive a survivor's pension
• Your pension was paid early because of permanent ill-health and at that time it was certified that you were incapable of engaging in any regular full-time employment.
If you're under 55 you won't get an increase if:
• You retired early due to redundancy
• You receive a deferred pension paid early due to ill-health. **
In these cases, when you reach age 55, you'll begin to receive pension increases and we'll contact you at that time to explain how the increase is calculated.
** If you retired between age 50 and age 55 and it was certified by an independent registered medical practitioner that you were permanently incapacitated by physical or mental infirmity and unable to take part in any regular full-time employment, you'll receive the pension increase.
The State Pension increase of 4.8% does not apply to Local Government Pension Scheme pensions.
COPE explained
Contracted Out Pension Equivalent (COPE) is part of the benefits already in payment and no additional amount will be paid in respect of it.
The additional State Pension (previously known as State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) and State Second pension (S2P)). It was introduced in 1978 with the aim of providing everyone with an earnings related pension. This was because there was a division between those who had access to an occupational pension scheme and those who had to rely on the state pension. If employers “contracted out” and promised to pay a Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) both employer and employee paid National Insurance at a lower contracted-out rate. Most public sector defined benefit schemes contracted out.
The new single tier State Pension was introduced in April 2016. For members who reach State Pension Age after that date, it compares entitlement under the old and new arrangements to determine a starting amount for your single-tier pension. A deduction is made to take account of any contracted out employment and any Guaranteed Minimum Pension that has been earned. This is expressed as a Contracted-Out Pension Equivalent (COPE) and should be broadly the same as your Guaranteed Minimum Pension.