About the scheme

Who can join

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

The LGPS covers employees working in local government and for other organisations that have chosen to participate in the scheme. Your employer should put you into the scheme automatically. If you have a contract of less than three months you will not be put in the scheme automatically but you do have the right to join if you want to.

The LGPS have recently created some pension videos to help make pensions simple. View the videos from the LGPS.

To be able to join the LGPS there is a requirement to be under the age of 75 and work for an employer that offers membership of the scheme. If employed by a designating body, such as a town or parish council, or by a non-local government organisation which participates in the LGPS (an admission body) the employer can nominate membership of the scheme. Police Officers, operational firefighters and in general teachers and employees eligible to join another statutory pension scheme are not allowed to join the LGPS.

The term 'local government' in this context also covers:

Civilian staff of the police and fire authorities
A coroner
Civil servants engaged in probation provision
A Mayoral development corporation
A conservation board
A valuation tribunal
A passenger transport authority
The Environment Agency
Non-teaching employees of an Academy employer
An Education Action forum
A sixth form college corporation
A Higher Education Corporation

Designating bodies can nominate employees for access to the LGPS and include, among others:

Town and parish councils
Voluntary schools
Foundation schools
Foundation special schools
Federated schools
Technical institutes
Transport for London
The children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

An admission body is an employer that chooses to participate in the LGPS under an admission agreement. These tend to be:

Charities
Contractors, usually where a local government function has been contracted-out to a non-local government employer