Deferred Members

Once you have two years' membership of the scheme, (or less if you have transferred pension rights from another scheme or arrangement) you have the right to be paid a pension when you reach normal retirement age. So if you stop working for an employer which is a member of the Fund, or simply stop paying contributions, your pension will be preserved. You will be what we call a 'deferred member' because your benefits will have been deferred until you retire.

We will send you a benefit statement each year telling you how much you can expect to receive from your preserved pension when you retire. To make sure you get this, please tell us if you change your address.

We also send you a newsletter every year. You can download the latest newsletter here [PDF] or from the publications section of this site.

After you leave local government employment with a preserved pension, you can decide whether to:

Leave it there, where it will be increased in line with inflation each year after the date you leave, or
Transfer your preserved pension to your new employer's scheme or into a personal pension plan. If you choose this option, you can ask for a transfer value quotation (known as the 'cash equivalent transfer value')
If you rejoin the scheme, you can link your former membership to your new membership

You can find out more about deferred benefits on the Local Government Pension Scheme website.