You can opt out of the scheme at any time by contacting your employer or filling in the cancellation of membership form on our forms section. If you stop working for an employer which offers its employees membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, then you will automatically leave the scheme.
If you leave the scheme with less than two years’ membership and have not transferred in benefits, you can get a refund of your contributions. The tax and national insurance you would have paid if you had not joined the scheme will be taken off your refund.
If you have been a member for more than two years, or have transferred in benefits, you can either:
You can transfer preserved benefits at any time before you retire.
If you opt out of the scheme, it is up to your employer to decide whether you can rejoin at a later date.
There is more detailed information on the scheme in the leaflet A Guide to the Local Government Pension Scheme which is available on our publications page.