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Absences
How absences affect your pension
If you are absent from work, your pension could be affected. This all depends on the reason you are absent. If your pension is affected then, in some cases, your employer can help you buy back the lost pension.
Sickness absence
During periods of sickness absence, you don’t lose any pension benefits.
- Whilst receiving pay - if you are receiving full or reduced pay, you will pay contributions based on the amount you are being paid. Your employer will continue to pay full pension contributions.
- If you’re not receiving pay - if you are on unpaid sick leave, you will not pay any pension contributions. Your employer will continue to make contributions.
In either situation, you will continue to build up full pension benefits, even if you leave your job without returning to work. Your pension will be based on your average pay, which is normally the amount of pay you would have received had you not been absent.
50/50 section
If you are in the 50/50 section and on unpaid sick leave, you will be moved into the main scheme from the next pay period to ensure that you build up full pension benefits from that time.
Child related leave
Paid child related leave
During paid periods of child related leave, you do not lose any pension benefits. You will continue to build up full pension benefits as your pension will be based on your Assumed Pensionable Pay, which is normally the amount of pay you would have received had you not been absent. Your employer continues to pay full contributions.
Unpaid child related leave
The rules around this depend on:
- whether the unpaid leave started before 1 April 2026 or on or after that date
- if it started on or after 1 April 2026, whether the unpaid period lasts for less than 15 days
- if it started on or after 1 April 2026, whether the member chooses to pay extra to cover the period within a year of returning to work.
50/50 section
If you are in the 50/50 section and you are not being paid, you will be moved into the main scheme from the next pay period to ensure that you build up full pension benefits from that time.
Authorised and unauthorised unpaid leave
Authorised unpaid leave – less than 15 days
From 1 April 2026, if your employer allows you to take unpaid leave that lasts less than 15 days, your pension will continue to build up in this period. You and your employer both pay the pension contributions that would have been paid if you were at work receiving your normal pay.
This will apply if you are unpaid when you are absent from work because of jury service.
It may also apply if you have bought annual leave from your employer, but this depends on how the scheme to buy extra leave works. If you are buying or thinking about buying extra annual leave, you can check with your employer how your pension will be affected.
Authorised unpaid leave – 15 days or more
From 1 April 2026, if your employer allows you to take unpaid leave that lasts for 15 days or more, the break will not automatically count for pension purposes. This also applies if you were absent from work and unpaid for more than 15 days for jury service. You can choose to pay extra contributions to buy the pension you ‘lost’ in the unpaid period.
If you elect to pay these extra contributions within a year of returning to work, the cost is split between you and your employer. The contributions can be paid by lump sum or regular deductions from your pay. If you take an unpaid break, your employer will be able to tell you the cost and your payment options.
An arrangement to buy pension ‘lost’ in a period of unpaid leave that started 1 April 2026 or later is known as a Qualifying Additional Pension Arrangement or QAPA.
Authorised unpaid leave – old rules
The rules that applied before 1 April 2026 still apply if you took an authorised unpaid break that started before that date. Under those rules, the period does not count for pension purposes unless you elect to pay Additional Pension Contributions (APCs) to buy the pension you ‘lost’ during the absence.
If you make an election to pay Additional Pension Contributions to purchase ‘lost’ pension within 30 days of returning to work, the cost will be split between you and your employer. Your employer can agree to contribute if you make your election after more than 30 days.
Use the Buy lost pension calculator to find out more about this option. You will need information from your employer about the pay you ‘lost’ in the unpaid absence to use the calculator.
You can also use the calculator if you took an unpaid break that started on or after 1 April 2026, but you elected to pay the extra contributions more than a year after returning to work. You would have to pay the full cost yourself. Your employer would not have to pay part of the cost.
Unauthorised unpaid leave
During periods of unauthorised leave, you will not receive pay and will not pay any pension contributions.
Strike break
If you are off work due to industrial action, you will not build up any pension benefits.
When you return to work, you can choose to buy the lost pension by paying for an additional pension contribution (APC). This is entirely at your cost.
Reserve Forces Leave
A reservist can be called upon to take part in military operations up to a maximum of 12 months. During this period, you should not lose any pension benefits.
You will normally stop being paid by your employer and get paid by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) instead. The MOD should carry on deducting your pension contributions so there is no effect on your pension. If your regular employer also pays you anything, it will not count towards your pension.
Your pension will be based on the average pay you would have received had you not been on reserve forces service leave.
Jury Service
If you are paid by your employer during your jury service, you will build up your normal pension benefits.
If you are not paid by your employer during your jury service, it is treated like any type of authorised unpaid leave. This means you lose pension during this time.
The lost pension can be bought by paying for either a Qualifying Additional Pension Arrangement (QAPA), or a shared cost additional pension contribution (SCAPC) and will depend on the dates of service. Contact your employer for more information.
You can find out more information about if you are away from work from the LGPS member site.
