Joining the LGPS - Councillors and Mayors in England
Important Changes for elected members
From 25 March 2026, the rules changed to allow elected members of local authorities in England to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
Who does this apply to?
The change applies to elected members, including:
Councillors
Mayors
from the following authorities in England:
County councils
District councils
Unitary councils
London borough councils
Combined authorities
Combined county authorities
The Greater London Authority (GLA)
Unitary councils are included as they operate as either county or district councils, depending on their structure.
Town and Parish councillors are not eligible for membership. This is because the definition of an eligible councillor only includes those who are included in an allowance scheme under the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003. The relevant parts of these regulations do not include town and parish councils.
When can I join the LGPS?
Although the regulation was made on 25 March 2026, it will come into force on 11 May 2026. This means eligible elected members will be able to join the LGPS from 11 May 2026 onwards providing you are under age 75.
Please be aware that membership cannot be backdated. Your membership will begin from the first day of the next pay period after the application is received. You should check your payslip to make sure pension contributions are being deducted from your allowances.
How do I join?
Joining the LGPS is optional for elected members.
To become a member, you must opt in by completing and submitting an election form to the Fund. Membership will not start automatically.
Can I join if I already pay into another pension?
Yes - you can pay into the LGPS even if you already contribute to another pension scheme, for example; an occupational pension scheme from an ongoing employment, or a personal pension plan.
You are allowed to pay into as many pension schemes as you like. In each tax year, you can pay up to 100% of your UK taxable earnings into any number of pension arrangements of your choice and still be eligible for tax relief, subject to the annual allowance.
What if I am already receiving a LGPS pension?
If you are already receiving an LGPS pension, your pension will only be affected if some or all of it was built up before 1 April 2014. You must inform the LGPS Fund that pays your pension about your new employment, regardless of whether you join the Scheme in your new role. They will let you know if your pension in payment is affected.
If the LGPS pension you are receiving was all built up after 31 March 2014, you do not need to inform the LGPS Fund that pays your pension about your new employment, as it will not affect your pension. However, if you are receiving an LGPS ill health pension that ceases if you are in any gainful employment, you must inform the employer who awarded the pension. They will advise whether your pension in payment should be stopped.
How much will I contribute?
An elected member’s employee contribution rate is set and reviewed in the same way as for other members of the LGPS, based on annual pensionable pay. However, pensionable pay is defined differently for elected members.
Pensionable Pay
For elected members, pensionable pay is the total of the following amounts paid under the authority’s approved remuneration scheme:
basic allowances
special responsibility allowances
relevant allowances
any salary paid (where applicable)
Importantly travel and subsistence allowances are not pensionable.
Your contributions will attract tax relief when they are deducted from your pensionable pay, if you earn enough to pay tax.
Can I increase my benefits?
Elected members can boost their pension by:
Paying extra pension contributions, known as Additional Pension Contributions (APCs), to buy extra LGPS pension, or by
Making payments to the Scheme’s Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) arrangement.
Can I join the 50/50 section?
Yes, Elected members have the same ability to pay reduced contributions by opting to move to the 50/50 section of the Scheme.
If you wish to join the 50/50 section, complete the following election form:
How are my benefits worked out?
1/49th of your pensionable pay is put into your pension account every year. The balance in your pension account is adjusted in line with the cost of living at the end of every financial year. When you retire, the balance in your pension account is the annual pension payable for life. You will have the option to give up some of this pension for a tax-free lump sum at retirement.
Additionally, your family enjoys financial security, with immediate life cover and a pension for your spouse, civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner and eligible children in the event of your death in service.
If you become seriously ill and you have met the two-year qualifying period, you could receive your pension straight away.
What benefits will I be entitled to?
Retirement benefits
If you leave the LGPS with at least two years’ membership, you will be entitled to a pension when you retire. Your normal pension age is the same as your State Pension Age (which you can find here). You can retire between the ages of *55 and 75, and your pension will be paid at a reduced rate for early retirement or at a higher rate for late retirement.
Other benefits
There are ill-health pension options if you are unwell and cannot continue in your position. If you die, a death grant and a survivor’s pension may be payable.
Transferring benefits
Whilst you are not allowed to join up other employee LGPS memberships you have with your councillors’ LGPS pension, you can join up multiple periods of LGPS councillor membership with each other. When you leave the scheme, you can choose to transfer your pension to another scheme as long as you meet certain legal criteria.
As a councillor member of the Scheme your employer cannot buy you additional pension, and you cannot have your pension put into payment early on redundancy grounds, as councillors cannot be made redundant.
*The government has announced that the normal minimum pension age will increase to age 57 from 6 April 2028. The details of how this will work for the LGPS are still to be confirmed - however the government has proposed that people who were LGPS members before 4 November 2021 will remain able to take their pension from age 55 after the changes are made.
What happens if I leave before retiring?
If you leave the LGPS before you retire and have at least two years’ membership, your pension benefits will be deferred. This means they’ll be held for you until you are ready to retire, which you can do from age 55 onwards. The earliest age that you can take your pension will increase from age 55 to 57 from 6 April 2028.
If you leave with less than two years’ membership you may be able to claim a return of your contributions, less tax.
Further Information
You can access further information here: