Transferring in Benefits
As a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme in Berkshire, you have the opportunity of transferring any previous pension rights that you may have with another Local Authority, company, occupational or personal pension scheme into the LGPS.
An election to transfer former pension rights into the LGPS has to be made in writing within 12 months of joining the LGPS or such longer period as your new employer may allow.
Combining Previous Scheme Membership
The LGPS (Miscellaneous) Regulations 2010 were laid before parliament on 25 August 2010 and have come into force from 30 September 2010. The most notable amendment within these Miscellaneous Regulations relate to the combining of previous LGPS membership with the membership currently building up within the Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund.
Combining LGPS benefits - new rules
Regulation 16 of the LGPS (Administration Regulations 2007 (as amended) has now been amended under the Miscellaneous regulations regarding combining periods of LGPS membership.
If a member leaves the LGPS they are entitled to leave your benefits in the Scheme (known as deferred benefits). If they later re-join the LGPS with another Local Government employer, they may add their previous deferred benefits to the benefits building up in their new employment. This is known as combining benefits.
What are the current rules?
Before 1 October 2010, the ability to combine benefits was restricted in two ways:
• A decision to combine benefits had to be made within the first 12 months of returning to Local Government employment (or such longer period as the employing authority allowed); and
• If you had a deferred benefit held with more than one previous LGPS employer, you could only combine the most recent period of membership with your current membership.
What has changed?
• Under the revised regulations, existing active members will have until 30 September 2011 to combine any period of former Local Government membership with their current membership; and
• Members are now permitted provided that they elect to do so in the first 12 months of their new period of membership. Current active members have, until 30 September 2011 to aggregate membership.
A Frequently Asked Questions leaflet has been produced which contains further information regarding combining previous Local Government membership which can be downloaded here. Members to investgate a transfer of previous Local Government membership before 30th September 2011 must complete form LGS13A and return this to the Berkshire Pensions team.
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