Members A - Z

Annual allowance

Your annual allowance is the amount your pension savings can increase by in a year without having to pay extra tax. If you go over the allowance, you will have to pay tax on the excess. 

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Annual benefit statements

We must provide you with an annual statement by 31 August every year if you are an active or deferred member. Your statement provides an estimate of the pension benefits you have built up in the LGPS by 31 March in the current year. 

Appointments

You can book an appointment to speak to a Pension Fund Officer face-to-face or over the phone if your query isn’t covered on our website and needs a discussion. 

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Bank account changes

If you need to change the bank account that your pension is being paid into, you can do so by completing the Pensions change of bank account form and send it back to the address at the bottom of the form. Alternatively, you can contact us for a copy.

Calculating your pension

How much pension you build up is based on your pay and when you have joined the LGPS Scheme. 

Complaints

If you are not satisfied with how your benefits are processed, any decision we give, or the service we provide, you can raise a complaint, and we will work with you to resolve any issues.

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Contact us

If your enquiry is not covered on our website or you want to discuss something with us, you can contact us. 

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Contribution rates

Active scheme members pay contributions to the LGPS. Your contribution rate is based on how much you earn. Your employer also contributes towards your pension. You can find out what contributions you pay and information about how your contributions attract tax relief.

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Death Grant nomination form

LGPS members are covered by a package of benefits, including the payment of a death grant. 

You can choose who will receive this payment by completing a Death Grant nomination form, available within My Pension. 

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Deferred pensions

If you leave the LGPS Scheme, your pension benefits will be kept on hold until you reach your retirement age, unless you transfer your pension. They are inflation proof and linked to cost-of-living increases. Find out if you are entitled to deferred benefits.

Divorce

When going through a divorce, the court will take the value of your pension into account in your settlement. 

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Employer contributions

Your employer contributes to the LGPS Scheme to pay for your pension benefits. Every 3 years their contribution rate is assessed to establish how much they should be paying, after taking into account investment returns.

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Estimate calculations

An online benefit projector is available on your account, and you can quickly and easily calculate as many estimates as you like.

You will need to register for an account with My Pension.

If the retirement date you are considering is:

  • within the next 12 months, then you can contact the Pension team and request a formal estimate
  • more than 12 months in the future, the online Benefit Projector will provide a suitable pension estimate
Flexible retirement

Under the pension scheme rules, it is possible to retire from the age of 55 and receive pension benefits without completely leaving your employment. This will only be possible with the agreement of your employer, who will have a policy on flexible retirement. 

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Frequently asked questions

You can find answers to frequently asked questions, not specifically for Leicestershire, but affecting all LGPS Scheme members.

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Glossary

Find the meaning of commonly used terms relating to pensions.

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Governance

The Fund has a number of policies, strategies, and plans in place to ensure that obligations to members, employers, and stakeholders are met.

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Ill health retirement

If you cannot work because of illness, your pension benefits may be paid to you, regardless of your age. However, there is a specific process that must be followed.

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Income tax on my pension

The pension payments you receive from the LGPS are treated as taxable income under UK tax rules. If you have a query about your tax, please contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). 

If you have a form to complete, you might be asked for Leicestershire County Council’s Pension PAYE reference - this is 267/L143

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Increasing your contributions

The LGPS provides opportunities to pay increased contributions to boost your pension benefits. You can pay either Additional Pension Contributions (APCs) or Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs). 

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Investments

Contributions from employees and employers are invested by the Pension Fund to generate returns, ensuring the fund can pay benefits to its members.

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Joining the pension scheme

If you start a job eligible for membership in the LGPS, you will be automatically brought into the scheme if your contract is for 3 months or more. If the contract is for less than 3 months, you have the option to join. If you would like to join, please contact your payroll section.

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Leaving before retirement age

If you leave your employment before retirement age, there are options available to you, depending on whether you meet the 2-year qualifying period or not. 

Lump sum allowance

The lump sum allowance limits the amount of tax-free cash you can take from your pension. 

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McCloud

Following a court ruling, the McCloud judgement was implemented to ensure protections were in place for members deemed to be ‘in-scope’ regardless of age. Not all members are affected by the changes. 

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News and updates

We’ll keep you informed about the latest updates, important notices, and developments to the Leicestershire County Council Pension Fund. 

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Notifying us of a death

If a scheme member has passed away, you can use the Tell Us Once service to notify most government organisations in one go.

Opting out of the scheme

If you have decided to opt out of the LGPS, you will need to complete an opt out form and send it to your employer's payroll office.

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P60s

If you are paid a pension from the Fund, you will receive an annual P60 statement. The P60 will be available on your My Pension account.

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Pension policies

The Fund has a number of policies, strategies, and plans in place to ensure that obligations to members, employers, and stakeholders are met. 

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Pension scams

Millions of people fall victim to pension scams every year. Anyone can be the victim of a pension scam, no matter how financially savvy they think they are. People may be tricked into handing over their entire pension savings to scammers. Learn how to spot the signs and protect yourself. 

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Pension Scheme Registry (PSR) number

A PSR number is allocated as an identifier to the pension scheme by the Pensions Regulator. The Leicestershire County Council Pension Fund PSR number is 10079136.

Pension Scheme Tax Reference (PSTR) number

A PSTR number is a reference allocated an identifier to the pension scheme by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The Leicestershire County Council Pension Fund PSTR number is 00328856RQ

Pension taxation

The contributions you pay into the LGPS are tax-free, but there are limits. Generally, this only affects high earners.  

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Pensioner payslips

Pensioner payslips are available through your My Pension account. We do not issue new pensioners with a printed payslip via the post. 

Pensions increase

Your pension is increased in line with the cost of living in order to maintain its spending power. The increase is based on the Consumer Prices Index. 

Reducing your contributions

It is possible to reduce your pension contributions and remain in the scheme. You can do this by joining the 50/50 scheme.

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Redundancy

Learn what happens with your pension if you lose your job because of redundancy.  

Retirement age

You can take your LGPS pension at any time from age 55 to age 75 if you have 2 years of scheme membership.  

Retirement options

When you retire, provided you have 2 years of membership, we will calculate your pension benefits, known as pension options, and inform you within 10 working days. You must then notify us of your retirement choice, and we will process it.

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Service standards

Find out about our role and purpose, key challenges and response times.

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Time off work

Find out what happens to your pension if you are on sick leave, parental leave, authorised unpaid leave, on strike, or on reserve forces leave. 

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Transferring your pension

Find out how to transfer your pension if you leave the LGPS to join another scheme and protect yourself from pension scams.