Local Government Pension Scheme

In most cases, your pension fund will know that you are protected because:

• You were a member of the LGPS before 1 April 2012 in the same pension fund that you were in when you built up protected benefits.
• You were a member of the LGPS before 1 April 2012 in a different pension fund to the one you were in when you built up protected benefits, and your benefits have been joined together.
• You were a member of a different public service pension scheme before 1 April 2012, and you have transferred that pension to the LGPS.

However, some members will be protected because of membership in a different pension fund or public service pension scheme that is separate from their LGPS benefits built up between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2022. If this is the case, your pension fund might not know that you are protected.

Your pension fund will give you an opportunity to tell them about any relevant pension scheme membership. Pay attention to any letters or other communications from them. If you do not respond, your pension fund may not know that you are protected. This could mean that when they work out your LGPS pension, it is not correct. Although this can be corrected later, this could delay your pension being paid to you.

Your pension fund must review many thousands of pension records to make sure members get the correct benefits. It may be many months before they contact you to ask about any previous pension scheme membership.