The Local Government Pension Scheme is the biggest funded public-sector pension scheme in the UK and the only one with a real investment pot, the LGPS in England and Wales alone holds around £402 billion in assets. It runs in parallel arms: England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland (NILGOSC), and a separate Local Government scheme for some other public bodies. Most active members are in the 2014 (E&W) or 2015 (Scotland) Career Average sections.
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Local Government Pension Scheme: how the LGPS works for members
The full plain-English guide for this scheme, what it is, how the sections fit together, what you contribute and what you get out.
What members usually ask
- Which fund am I in?
- Your fund is set by your employer and your geography. Each fund has its own administrator. You’ll have one fund per employment, not one across the whole UK.
- What’s the 50/50 section?
- Pay half the contribution and accrue half the pension. Full death-in-service cover stays in place. It is a temporary cost-relief option, not a long-term plan.
- How do AVCs work in LGPS?
- Most LGPS funds offer Shared Cost AVCs through a chosen provider. Done well, they are very tax-efficient at retirement. Done badly, they are not.
- What is McCloud doing to my LGPS pension?
- A final-salary ‘underpin’ applies for service between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2022. The default is whichever option produces the higher benefit at retirement.
Latest in this scheme
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From October 2026 every LGPS administering fund must channel its investments through one of six approved pools. Which pool covers your fund, what happens…
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Five things that changed in your LGPS pension on 1 April 2026
Five member-facing LGPS changes (England and Wales) came into force on 1 April 2026. Family-leave pension build-up, equalised survivor pensions, and backdated death grants…