Combining previous pensions
If you have pension benefits from a previous local government, firefighter or police scheme, you can combine them with your new account to help you manage them in one place. Here's how it works.
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Can I combine my existing pensions?
If you have previously paid into a local government, firefighter or police pension scheme and are now paying into a new pension account, you can combine the two and manage them together in one place – also known as pension aggregation. The information on this page will help you understand the rules and what you need to do. But before you get started, it’s important to seek independent financial advice as it can affect your future retirement income.
How the process works
- When your employer lets us know that you have joined the pension scheme, we send you a welcome pack with a starter form, which you need to complete.
- This form includes a section on transferring in your existing pension benefits (your ‘pension rights’). You need to fill this in and confirm you wish to transfer in your existing pension.
- In some cases, you don’t need to make a request. We automatically look into linking your previous membership records with your new account. For example, if you paid into the LGPS after 1 April 2014 or you have joined from another constabulary/fire and rescue service.
- Alternatively, you can let us know you want to transfer in your benefits via our online contact form
- We write to your previous scheme for information about your membership and, if applicable, we request a transfer value of your benefits.
- Please be aware, it may take a number of weeks for your existing pension provider to get back to us, which can sometimes delay the process.
- Once we have a transfer value and details of your previous membership, we write to you with your options.
- To confirm if you want to combine your pension, simply complete and return the enclosed form by the deadline on the letter.
- Please note, you must still be employed at the time of submitting the form to ensure the request can be accepted.
- Once we have your confirmation, we arrange the transfer and let you know when this has been completed.
- In some cases, if you have previous LGPS benefits, we may automatically link them with your new LGPS pension if you don’t respond by the deadline outlined in the letter.
- During this process, there may be delays in getting the information and payment from your previous provider.
Click one of the buttons below for information about your specific scheme
Can I combine my existing pensions with my new one?
Each time you start a new local government job and pay into the LGPS scheme, a new pension account will be opened for you.
We usually join your previous (deferred) benefits with your new pension account automatically, unless you choose to keep them separate, which you must decide within 12 months of re-joining the LGPS.
Just be aware the rules can vary depending on your circumstances and when you joined the scheme:
If you joined the LGPS after 1 April 2014 and there was less than a five-year break between your previous and new job, your pensions can be combined without any impact on the value of your earlier deferred benefits.
If there is a five-year break or more, your pensions can still be combined but the rules are slightly different. We will write to you with more information on this and any potential impact on your benefits before combining your pensions.
If you paid into the LGPS before 31 March 2014, you will be entitled to some final salary benefits. After this date, the LGPS changed to a Career Average Revalued Earnings scheme (CARE), which calculates your benefits differently.
This means the value of your final salary benefits may change if you choose to combine them with your new pension. It may also affect the date your pension benefits can be paid to you without reductions ie Normal Pension Age
In some cases, you may have the option of using your existing benefits to buy earned CARE pension in your new LGPS account.
If you want to combine your previous deferred pension with your new account, you must decide within 12 months of re-joining the LGPS (unless your employer allows you longer in exceptional circumstances). If you don’t make a decision within 12 months, your deferred benefits will remain separate.
If you have more than one job and are paying into more than one LGPS pension, you can choose which account to combine your deferred benefits with.
For more information on combining multiple pensions, visit the LGPS website
If you paid into the LGPS for less than two years in a previous job, you did not build up a right to a deferred pension. You should have received a refund of the pension contributions you paid during this short period but if you did not, we will automatically combine this deferred refund with your new pension account.
For more information on refunds, visit the LGPS website
What types of pensions cannot be combined?
There are some situations where we can’t combine your previous pensions with your new account. In the following circumstances, you will have two separate sets of LGPS pension benefits:
| When can’t your pension be combined | |
| 1 | Your pension is already being paid to you. |
| 2 | You have a pension credit (a share of an ex-partner’s pension you were awarded after a divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership). |
| 3 | You have a deferred pension from opting out of the LGPS on or after 11 April 2015 and you are now paying into the scheme again in your new job. |
| 4 | You are receiving the Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) from a previous deferred pension. |
| 5 | You have a deferred LGPS pension and stopped paying into any public service pension scheme for more than five continuous years. There may be restrictions on combining your deferred pension with your new one. |
Please be aware
It’s wise to get independent financial advice if you need help choosing the best option for you. For more information, visit MoneyHelper, a free government service.
Can I combine my existing pensions with my new one?
In most cases, as long as there is a gap of five years or less between jobs, we join your deferred benefits with your new pension account automatically. You can choose to keep them separate but you must decide within 12 months of re-joining the FPS.
The rules can vary depending on your circumstances and when you paid into the scheme:
If there is more than a five-year gap between the last time you were paying into the scheme, you can’t transfer your previous deferred pension to your new account.
If you have more than one job and are paying into more than one FPS pension, you can choose which account to combine your deferred benefits with.
If you have an added pension account from a previous job, you may be able to combine the records with your new account.
If you have previous benefits in the 1992 or 2006 FPS schemes, details on how your pension is calculated will be provided when you transfer.
Can I combine my existing pensions with my new one?
If you have moved from another constabulary (in England and Wales), we usually join your previous benefits with your new pension account automatically.
You remain in the 2015 PPS and the pension you have built up (accrued pension) in the 2015 scheme remains the same.
The rules can vary depending on your circumstances and when you paid into the scheme:
If you joined after leaving the 2015 Northern Ireland Police Pension Scheme or the 2015 Scotland Police Pension Scheme, any accrued pension in that scheme is transferred into the 2015 Police Scheme (England and Wales).
If there is less than a five-year gap between the last time you were paying into the scheme, you can choose to combine your pension with your new account or keep them separate. You must decide this within 12 months of re-joining the PPS.
If there is more than a five-year gap between the last time you were paying into the scheme, you may not be able to transfer your previous deferred pension to your new account.
If you have previous benefits in the 1992 or 2006 FPS schemes, details on how your pension is calculated will be provided when you transfer.
