We will enrol you into the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) contractually if:
- you start a job where you qualify for membership; and
- your contract is for three months or more.
If your contract is for less than three months, we will enrol you if:
- You qualify for membership of the LGPS after starting work;
- Your contract is extended for three months or more; or
- You choose to join by sending in an application form.
Find out more about:
The Government brought in 'automatic enrolment’ rules to help more people save for later life through a workplace pension scheme. Employers must enrol workers into a qualifying pension scheme, where both the member and employer pay contributions each month. The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is a qualifying scheme.
If you opt out of the LGPS, we will automatically enrol you again every three years, as long as:
- your contract is for three months or more
- you are under 75; and
-
you’re an ‘Eligible Jobholder’.
‘Eligible Jobholder is one or three different groups of worker, depending on age and earnings. These groups are:
- Eligible Jobholder – we would re-enrol you automatically into the LGPS
- Non-Eligible Jobholder – we don’t have to re-enrol you automatically. However, you can ask to join, and the employer has to pay towards your pension.
- Entitled Worker – we don’t have to re-enrol you automatically. You can still ask to join, although you [may / will] not qualify for employer contributions.
Find your group in this table:
| Income | Aged 16-21 | Aged 22-SPA* | Aged SPA-74* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Earnings up to £6,240 a year | Aged 16-21 Entitled Worker | Aged 22-SPA* Entitled Worker | Aged SPA-74* Entitled Worker |
| Income Earnings between £6,241 and £10,000 a year | Aged 16-21 Non-Eligible Jobholder | Aged 22-SPA* Non-Eligible Jobholder | Aged SPA-74* Non-Eligible Jobholder |
| Income Earnings over £10,000 a year | Aged 16-21 Non-Eligible Jobholder | Aged 22-SPA* Eligible Jobholder | Aged SPA-74* Non-Eligible Jobholder |
*State Pension Age (SPA)
You will be able to opt out again if you choose.
Your employer may choose not to re-enrol you automatically if:
- You opted-out of the LGPS within 12 months of the date you’re due to be auto-enrolled;
- You’re working through your notice; or
- Your employer believes that you hold a Lifetime Allowance protection, such as Primary, Enhanced or Fixed Protection.
For further information about these protections visit the Tax controls and your pension page.
Please note
If you opt-out, you can choose to re-join the LGPS at any time. However, if you opted-out on or after 11 April 2015, and you re-join, you won’t be able to combine the two periods of pensionable service together.
If you have built up pension benefits in the past, you may be able to transfer them to your LGPS pension account.
These could include benefits from:
- a previous employer’s pension scheme;
- a self-employed pension plan;
- a pension ‘buy-out’ policy;
- a personal pension plan;
- a stakeholder pension scheme; or
- an Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) arrangement.
Please note:
You must transfer in past benefits within 12 months of joining the LGPS.
If you are interested in doing this, please get in touch [link to Southwark Pensions contacts page]
For more information, visit www.lgpsmember.org/arm/already-member-tvin.php.