Membership

Your benefits were worked out when you left the Scheme and are based on how long you were a member and your pay when you left. Find out how deferred benefits are worked out.

Your benefits are then held in the Scheme where they will be reviewed every year in line with the cost of living, until they start to be paid. These benefits are often known as deferred benefits.

  • Accessing Your Benefits
  • Transfer out
  • Ill Health
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Accessing Your Benefits

Your pension can be paid any time from your 55th birthday but will be reduced if you take it before your Normal Pension Age which for most is the same as the State Pension Age. 

Accessing Your Benefits
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Transfer out

You can transfer your benefits to another pension scheme if the new scheme is willing to accept the transfer.

Transferring Out
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Ill Health

It is possible to take your deferred benefits at any age on the grounds of ill health.

Ill Health
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How deferred benefits are worked out

Any pension built up in the scheme from 1st April 2015 will be on a Career Average Revalued Earnings (or CARE) basis.

If you have membership before 1 April 2015 your pension is worked out using your final pay and your membership.

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Pension Increase

Your benefits are then held in the Scheme where they will be reviewed every year in line with the cost of living, until they start to be paid. 

Planning retirement

Re-joining and aggregation

If you re-join the LGPS (Local Government Pension Scheme) you will begin to build up membership towards a new set of benefits, in addition to your existing deferred benefits. You will be given the option to combine your old and new pensions. Find out more on your options. 

  • If You Die
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If You Die

If you die before you take your deferred benefits, the Scheme makes sure that your family is supported. 

 

Depending on your circumstances it can provide a: 

  • Lump sum death grant 
  • Survivor's pensions 
  • Children's pensions 
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