As a member of the Fund, you make contributions between 5.5% and 12.5% of your pensionable pay. Your rate depends on the pay band you’re in.
Your employer also pays into the Fund to ensure there is enough money to pay out pensions for all members in the future.
If you would like to pay more into your pension please visit our increasing your pension page.
As an active member of the Fund, you pay between 5.5% and 12.5% of your pay in contributions.
See the table to find out how much your contributions are.
| Pay Band | Yearly Pay | Main Section | 50/50 Section |
|---|
If you work part-time (including term time), your rate is based on the actual rate of pay for your job, so you will only pay contributions on the pay you earn.
When you make pension contributions, you will receive tax relief, so being a member costs less than you think.
The amount of tax relief you receive depends on the rate of tax you pay. If you pay basic-rate tax, you will receive tax relief at 20%. If you pay tax at a higher rate than 20%, the appropriate rate of tax relief will apply. Find out more information on income tax rates on the Government website.
If you decide that you need to spend your pay on other things for a while, you can stay in the Fund but pay a reduced contribution in the 50/50 section. This section is intended to be used for the short term. You can choose to opt into this section at any time. However, you would be re-enrolled into the main section in line with your employer’s re-enrolment date, every three years.
Remember, in the 50/50 section as you’re paying less, you will only build up half of the pension for each year you’re a member, compared with the main section.
A benefit of switching into the 50/50 section, rather than opting out, is that you would continue to be entitled to the Fund’s full death in service and ill health retirement benefits.
If you have an extended period of absence where you’re not receiving any pay, you will be automatically enrolled back into the main section. If you’re paying additional contributions, when you move to the 50/50 section, these will stop, unless they were to cover a period of absence from work. Find out more about the 50/50 section on the LGPS website.
If you would like to move to the 50/50 section, please complete this form and send it to your employer.
The annual allowance is the amount that can be paid into a pension each tax year, without paying tax. This applies across all your pension savings. As the Fund is a defined benefit pension arrangement, the annual allowance is calculated based on how much your pension has increased in value over the tax year. Find out what the annual allowance is at MoneyHelper.
You can also find out more about what the annual allowance means for your pension by reading the factsheet.
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