Change of Hours
If you change your weekly hours or term-time weeks of employment the benefits you build up within the LGPS are affected.
For the majority of our members we class part-time employees as anyone whose contractual hours of work are less than 37 per week for 52 weeks of the year. A part-time employee may also be someone who works 37 hours per week but for less than 52 weeks of the year such as an employee of a school who works during term-time only.
How does part-time employment affect my membership of the LGPS?
The LGPS is a defined benefit, final salary pension scheme. As such benefits are defined in line with statutory regulations and based on how long you have been a member of the scheme and the final pay you receive at the time you leave the scheme. Benefits are not based on the contributions that you and your employer pay into the scheme (as they would be if you belonged to a 'money purchase' scheme).
What happens if, as a full-time employee, I decide to reduce my hours a few years before my retirement?
Your membership built up before the date from which you decide to reduce your hours will be protected. Your membership from the date that you reduce your hours will build up at its part-time rate. For example, let us assume that you have 20 years of full-time employment by the age of 55. You decide to reduce your hours to 18.5, or half of full-time. You work until you are 65 when you retire. Your total membership will be 25 years (20 at full-time + 10 at half-time).
If you do change you weekly hours or term-time weeks your Payroll Department should notify us directly. On receipt of this notice we will update your records and issue a statutory notification to confirm the amendment.
To find out more about how your part-time hours will affect your membership you can download our factsheet 'Impact of Working Part-time'. If you would prefer to have a copy of this factsheet forwarded to your home address please contact us on 0845 6027237.
