Local Government Pension Scheme

The basics

In this section we look at the basic rules that apply to pension transfers of deferred benefits out of the LGPS.

• If you have bought extra LGPS pension for yourself or for a dependant, the value of that extra pension will be included in any transfer payment. You may have bought extra pension by paying Additional Pension Contributions, Additional Regular Contributions or purchasing added years.
• If you have paid Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs), you do not have to transfer these if you transfer your main LGPS benefits to another pension scheme. The conditions to transfer your AVCs are different from those set out below.
• You cannot transfer your pension if you leave the LGPS less than one year before your Normal Pension Age.
• You can only transfer your pension if you elect to transfer at least one year before your Normal Pension Age.
• If you complete a full pension transfer, you will not be entitled to any benefits from the LGPS. No death grant or dependants’ pensions will be paid by the LGPS when you die.
• You can only transfer your LGPS pension if you have stopped paying into the Scheme.
• You cannot transfer an LGPS pension if you have already taken a pension from the LGPS. If you have an LGPS pension in payment you cannot transfer any deferred benefits out of the LGPS.
• If you hold more than one set of deferred benefits in the LGPS in Scotland, you can transfer all or none of those benefits. You cannot transfer one deferred benefit to a different scheme and keep another deferred benefit in the LGPS.