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
You will only pay LGPS contributions on the pay you actually receive while you are off sick. If you are on unpaid sick leave, you will not pay any contributions.
Your employer calculates your 'assumed' pensionable pay (APP), and we will use this to calculate your pension. In this way, you will continue to build up your LGPS pension as if you were still working and receiving pay.
Visit the LGPS website to see an example of how your employer works out assumed pensionable pay.
Relevant child-related leave
All types of relevant child-related leave can be found here.
Paid child-related leave
During paid relevant child-related leave, your pension is usually worked out using APP to make sure your pension is not affected by the reduction in pay.
You continue to pay basic LGPS contributions on any pay you receive during relevant child-related leave.
Unpaid child-related leave
If the unpaid period starts on or after 1 April 2026, this is treated as relevant child-related leave. This means that APP applies and you do not need to buy back lost pension for the unpaid period.
If the unpaid child-related leave started before 1 April 2026, the older rules apply to that period. This means it is not covered by APP, and you will need to enter an Additional Pension Contract (APC) if you want to restore the lost pension for the unpaid period.
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
Short authorised unpaid leave (14 days or less)
Since 1 April 2026, authorised unpaid absences of 14 days or less have been automatically pensionable.
During these short absences, both you and your employer pay contributions based on the pensionable pay you would have received (lost pay), so you do not have a gap in pension build-up. You do not need to take any action to buy back pension for that period.
Note: If you had a short period of unpaid leave starting before 1 April 2026, you would have had to buy back pension under an Additional Pension Contract (APCs).
Longer authorised unpaid leave (15 days or more)
For authorised, unpaid absences of more than 14 days which started after 31 March 2026:
- pension is not automatically built up for the unpaid period
- you can usually choose to buy back the lost pension through a Qualifying Additional Pension Arrangement (QAPA).
A QAPA is an arrangement to buy back the pension lost during an unpaid break from work of more than 14 days.
The cost of a QAPA is based on your and your employer’s normal contribution rates, if you had been at work. You can pay the extra contributions by lump sum or regular deductions from your pay over a year or a number of years.
Your employer will talk to you about your QAPA on your return to work.
You normally have up to 12 months after returning to work to elect, provided you remain active in the same employment.
If the break lasts more than three years, your employer only has to contribute for the first three years of the break.
Note: If your period of unpaid leave started before 1 April 2026, you will have to buy back pension under an Additional Pension Contract (APC). Please contact us if this applies to you.
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.
