Protection for all

If you were paying into the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) on 1 April 2014 you automatically joined the Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) pension scheme. The pension you have built up in the final salary pension scheme before this date is fully protected. This means that your pension, based on your membership built up to 31 March 2014, will continue to be calculated on your final salary when you leave. Your Normal Pension Age (NPA) is also protected. This means that the benefits you build up before April 2014 retain their NPA under final salary scheme rules, which for almost all members is age 65.

Please note you cannot take your benefits built up to 31 March 2014 separately from the benefits you build up from 1 April 2014. All your pension would have to be drawn at the same time (except in the case of Flexible Retirement).