New member information

This section brings together information and advice for new scheme members.

Automatic enrollment

Most employers automatically enrol new staff in the Local Government Pension Scheme. You can tell if you have been enrolled by checking your payslip to see if a deduction is made called pension. See more in the join the Fund section.

Payroll deduction

Your employer must inform the Fund that you have become a new member - this is usually triggered following the payment of your first contributions from your pay.
As soon as the Fund receives notification of you joining, we set up a record for you and then send out a welcome pack. We aim to do this within 6 weeks of receiving the information from your employer.

Cancelling membership

If you do not wish to be a member of the Fund you can opt out using the cancelling membership form.

Your benefits

The main benefits the Scheme provides include:

  •        pension 
  •        choice of lump sum
  •        life cover
  •        survivor and dependent pensions
  •        ill-health cover

 You can find out more in our section on pension benefits for those joining after 1 April 2009.

Bringing previous pension into the Scheme

In certain circumstances you can transfer public sector pension you have built up with a previous employer into the Scheme. You can find out more on the types of employer pension and the time limit of 12 months from joining in our transfer section.

Leaving the Fund

You can leave the Fund at any time.  If you leave the Fund with less than two years' membership and have not transferred in pension rights from another scheme, you can ask for a refund.  Otherwise your benefits will be held until you retire or you transfer them to another scheme.  You can find out more information in our leaving section.