If you are absent from work on authorised unpaid leave for a period of less than 31 days, pension contributions will be deducted from your next pay based on the pay you would have received but for the absence. This means that your period of absence will be covered for pension.
If you are absent from work because of industrial action, authorised unpaid leave for more than 30 days, or unpaid additional child related leave, this period won't count towards your pension. If you wish to buy back the pension that you have lost during this time, please visit LGPS 2015 APC Modellers and complete the form.
You can buy back lost pension whether you are in the main or 50/50 section of the Scheme.
You can buy the lost pension by spreading payment over several complete years (unless you are within 1 year of your Normal Pension Age) or by making a one-off payment. If you decide to cover the break within 30 days of returning to work your employer will meet two thirds of the cost unless the absence is unauthorised or due to industrial action.
For information regarding buying back periods of lost pension visit LGPS 2015 APC Modellers.
If you are off for a period of sick leave, your pension benefits will continue to build up as normal.
You will pay contributions on any pay you get while you are off sick (before any reduction on account of Statutory Sick Pay or Incapacity Benefit).
If you are receiving no pay, your benefits will be based on your assumed pensionable pay which is the notional pay figure your employers must calculate and use to make sure your pension benefits build up as if you were at work receiving normal pay.
If you are absent from work due to a trade dispute, your contributions will not be automatically deducted to cover your break, even if the absence is less than 30 days. You can choose to buy back any lost pension via an APC contract however your employer does not have to share the cost, even if you apply for the APC within 30 days of returning to work.
If you are eligible to be in the Armed Forces Pension Scheme during the period of special leave but elect to stay in the LGPS (Local Government Pension Scheme) scheme your employer will calculate an Assumed Pensionable Pay and provide this to us so that you will continue to build up pension. Your employer will tell you and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) the details of the Assumed Pensionable Pay and employee and employer contributions including any additional contributions you are paying. The MOD will then deduct contributions from you and pay those contributions along with the employer contributions directly to LPF (Lothian Pension Fund). If whilst you are on reserve forces leave, your employer continues to pay some salary to you, this pay is non pensionable, and no contributions will be deducted contributions are being deducted from the Assumed Pensionable Pay.
If you have a career break or period of authorised unpaid leave that lasts less than 30 days, your employer will automatically deduct your pensions contributions to cover this period of absence and you will not lose any pension.
If your career break or period of authorised unpaid leave lasts longer than 30 days, you can choose to buy back any lost pension via an APC contract. If you apply to buy back lost pension within 30 days of returning to work, then your employer must share the cost of buying back your pension and will pay 2/3rds of the contracted amount. If you apply to buy back lost pension more than 30 days after returning to work, your employer can choose to share the cost of the contract but does not have to.