Sick leave 

Sick leave does not normally reduce your LGPS pension.

If you are off work due to sickness or injury, you may be receiving:

  • reduced contractual pay
  • no pay at all

Your employer calculates your 'assumed' pensionable pay, and we use that to work out your contributions while you are off sick. You will continue to build up your LGPS pension as if you were working and receiving pay.

You will continue to pay your basic LGPS contributions on any pay that you receive while you are off sick. If you are on unpaid sick leave, you will not pay any contributions.

Visit the LGPS website to see an example of how your employer works out assumed pensionable pay.

Maternity, adoption, paternity or shared parental leave

Your pensionable pay is the amount of your salary on which you pay pension contributions. When you are on relevant child-related leave, your employer calculates your 'assumed' pensionable pay.

Depending on which of the two is higher, we work out your contributions using either your:

  • pensionable pay
  • assumed pensionable pay

You will continue to pay your basic LGPS contributions on any pay that you receive while you are on leave. If you are on unpaid leave, you will not pay any contributions.

Visit the LGPS website to see an example of how your employer works out assumed pensionable pay.

Additional unpaid maternity, adoption, paternity or shared parental leave

The following additional unpaid leave will not count for pension purposes:

  • maternity
  • paternity
  • adoption

You can elect to pay Additional Pension Contributions (APCs) to purchase the amount of pension lost during the period of unpaid absence.

Keep in Touch (KIT) and Shared Parental Leave in Touch (SPLIT) days

You may have KIT and SPLIT days during a period of unpaid:

  • additional maternity leave
  • adoption leave
  • shared parental leave

You will build up pension for the days you are paid.

Authorised unpaid leave 

Unpaid leave can reduce your pension unless you take action to buy back the lost pension.

  • this period is not pensionable by default, so your pension does not build up
  • you can usually choose to buy back the pension lost by paying contributions after you return to work

If you elect to do buy back pension within 30 days, the cost is based on your pay at the time you were absent. After 30 days, it may be more expensive

Learn more about how you can buy back lost pension with Additional Pension Contributions (APCs).

Industrial action and other unauthorised unpaid leave

Industrial action and unauthorised absence will normally result in a permanent reduction to your LGPS pension for the days you were on strike or did not come to work.

  • we treat periods of strike action as unauthorised, unpaid leave
  • you will build up no pension for these days
  • you can usually buy back the pension lost due to industrial action, but you will have to repay your own and your employer's contribution

Learn more about how you can buy back lost pension with Additional Pension Contributions (APCs).

Reserve forces leave

Reserve forces leave should not disadvantage your LGPS pension. If you are mobilised as a reservist, your LGPS membership can usually continue.

  • your pension is generally based on your assumed pensionable pay from your local government role
  • contributions may be covered through special arrangements involving your employer and the Ministry of Defence (MoD)
  • death in service and ill‑health protections normally remain in place

Your pensionable pay is the amount of your salary on which you pay pension contributions. If you are on reserve forces service leave and elect to remain in the LGPS, your pension in the scheme will be worked out using your 'assumed' pensionable pay.

While on reserve forces leave, you will continue to build up your LGPS pension as if you were working. Any pay you do receive from your employer will not have pension contributions deducted from it.

What your employer needs to do

  • Your employer needs to tell you the amount of:
  • basic pension contributions that you and the MoD must pay
  • any additional contributions you and your employer are paying into the LGPS
  • assumed pensionable pay those contributions must be collected on 

What you need to do

You need to pass on the information from your employer to the MoD.