Retirement FAQs

This is something to consider if you wanted to ease your way into retirement gradually. Rather than leaving your job to go straight into retirement, it allows you to take some of your pension benefits, so you can work fewer hours or days a week, or even take a less senior role.

You can only take flexible retirement if you:

• Are over age 55.
• Have met the two-year vesting period (See our FAQ about this).
• Have agreed this with your employer.

Please note, the pension benefits you’ll receive may be reduced if you take flexible retirement before your normal pension age.

• If you stopped making contributions to the Scheme before 1 April 2008, and if at the time of your passing you are under the age of 75, the payment will be five times your annual pension, minus the pension you’ve already been paid since you retirement.
• If you stopped making contributions to the Scheme between 1 April 2008 and 1 April 2014, and if at the time of your passing are under the age of 75, the payment will be 10 times your annual pension, minus the pension you’ve already been paid since your retirement.
• An ongoing pension is provided for your spouse, registered civil partner or, subject to certain qualifying conditions, eligible cohabiting partner and eligible children. For more information, please visit this page

There are certain times when a member may take their pension before their normal retirement age (typically 55). This may be due to redundancy or ill health, which leaves them unable to work.

When this happens, there may be a shortfall in the funding that’s needed to cover the cost of the member’s pension benefits. This is known as a pension strain cost.

Usually, the employer will pay these costs (for example, in the case of redundancy).

Yes, we would make payments in the usual way and your bank would convert the payments into local currency. There is no charge for this service, but it can take up to three additional banking days to receive your money.

Your work pension – This is the money that’s taken directly from your wage each month and topped up by your employer. To view your contributions and calculate your latest benefits, you need to set up an account and register your details at My pensions online

Your state pension – As long as you have paid the necessary national insurance contributions, you will also be entitled to a state pension (when you reach State Pension Age). Full details of your state pension benefits are available at the gov.uk website

You can view the value of your pension benefits anytime through our Member’s online service, My Pension Online. As the administrator of pensions in the Scheme, the Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA) provide the service. By registering, you can check what your pension benefits currently look like. You can also use the facility’s online calculator to see the size of the pension income you could be entitled to when you retire if you’re currently making contributions to the Scheme. For more information about My Pension Online, please visit: My Pension Online

You can retire and take your pension from aged 55 up until you’re 75. However, if you’re employed in local government, you would need to leave this post to take the pension unless you left your employment on flexible retirement grounds. For more information about this, please visit: https://www.lgpsmember.org/tol/thinking-leaving-when.php

If you are still contributing to the Local Government Pension Scheme through your wages, which means you’re an Active Member, you can find more information about when you can take your pension by visiting: Active Members

If you are no longer contributing to the Local Government Scheme, but have not yet started receiving your pension benefits, meaning you’re a Deferred Member, you can find more information about when you can take your pension by visiting: Deferred Member