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Leave of absence

In this section you can find out how the pension you built up in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) could be affected if you're off work for any reason.

For more information or if you have a problem or questions about your LGPS benefits please contact Capita. See our Contact details page for the various ways you can contact them.

Sick leave

You'll continue to build up pension in the Scheme if you're off work due to sickness or injury.  This is because the pensionable pay used to work out your pension will be based on assumed pensionable pay if your salary is reduced or stopped due to sickness or injury. See our Glossary for more information about assumed pensionable pay. 

The contributions that you pay to the Scheme will continue to be deducted from your pay before any reduction on account of statutory sick pay or incapacity benefit.  If you're on unpaid sick leave you won't pay any contributions.

If you're part of the 50:50 Section and on unpaid sick leave, you'll be moved in to the Main Section of the Scheme and continue to build up full pension benefits even though you're not paying contributions.

For more details about contributions or the 50:50 Section, see our Paying into the Scheme page.

Maternity, adoption or paternity leave

You'll continue to build up pension in the Scheme if you're off work due to maternity, adoption, paternity or shared parental leave (child related leave). This is because the pensionable pay used to work out your pension will be based on the higher of:

  • The pensionable pay you receive during child related leave, or
  • An average of your pensionable pay (assumed pensionable pay) before you went on child related leave

The contributions that you pay to the Scheme will continue to be deducted from your pay while you're on relevant child leave. For more details about contributions, see our Paying into the Scheme page.

However, any period of unpaid maternity, adoption, paternity or shared parental leave will not count for pension purposes unless you elect to pay Additional Pension Contributions (APCs) to purchase the amount of pension lost during the period of unpaid leave. See our I want to pay more into the Scheme page for details about APCs.

If you wish to purchase the amount of lost pension and do so within 30 days of returning to work, then the cost of the APC is split between you and your employer. You'll pay on one third of the cost and your employer will pay the rest. This is known as shared cost additional pension contributions (SCAPCs) and you can pay the additional costs as either a one off lump sum or a series of payments from your wage. Please note that the maximum period your employer will contribute to is 3 years. 

If you became a member of LGPS before 1 April 2014, you'll have built up benefits in the final salary section of the Scheme. If you choose to pay for the lost pension in the Scheme, the amount you pay will go towards covering protections associated with the pre 1 April 2014 membership.

You can contact Capita for more information about paying APCs. See our Contact details page for the various ways you can contact Capita.

Unpaid Leave

If you're granted unpaid leave, including jury service and parental leave, the period will not count toward your pension unless you elect to pay Additional Pension Contributions (APCs) to purchase the amount of pension lost during the period of unpaid leave. 

If you wish to purchase the amount of lost pension and do so within 30 days of returning to work then the cost of the APC is split between you and your employer. You'll pay on one-third of the cost and your employer will pay the rest. This is known as shared cost additional pension contributions (SCAPC) and you can pay the additional costs as either a one off lump sum or a series of payments from your wage. The maximum period you can buy back as SCAPCs is 3 years. For more details about SCAPCs, go to the LGPS website.

If you became a member of LGPS before 1 April 2014 you will have built up benefits in the final salary section of the Scheme. If you choose to pay for the lost pension in the Scheme, the amount you pay will go towards covering protections associated with the pre 1 April 2014 membership.

Visit our I want to pay more into the Scheme page for details about APCs.

You can also contact Capita for more information about paying APCs. See our Contact details page for the various ways you can contact them.

Strike

If you're absent for a day or more due to a trade dispute the period will not count toward your pension unless you elect to pay Additional Pension Contributions (APCs) to purchase the amount of pension lost during the period of absence.

The cost of purchasing the amount of lost pension for the period of absence must be met fully by you (unless your employer voluntarily make contributions to the APC). 

If you became a member of LGPS before 1 April 2014, you'll have built up benefits in the final salary section of the Scheme. If you choose to pay for the lost pension in the Scheme, the amount you pay will go towards covering protections associated with the pre 1 April 2014 membership. 

Visit our I want to pay more into the Scheme page for details about APCs.

You can also contact Capita for more information about paying APCs. See our Contact details page for the various ways you can contact them.

Reserve forces service

You'll continue to build up pension in the Scheme if you're off work due to leave in the reserve forces if you choose to remain in the LGPS.  This is because the pensionable pay used to work out your pension will be based on an average of your assumed pensionable pay, as if you were in work rather than on leave.

If you go on reserve forces leave and elect to stay in the LGPS your employer needs to tell you the amount of basic pension contributions that you and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) must pay, the amount of any additional contributions that you and your employer are paying in the LGPS, and the amount of assumed pensionable pay those contributions must be collected. You'll need to pass the information on to the MoD and your contributions will then be deducted by the MoD and paid to the EAPF together with the employer contributions due.

Paying extra

If you've agreed to pay extra in to the Scheme with full or reduced pay and you're absent from work due to any of the reasons previously mentioned, you must continue to pay the extra pension contributions you had contracted to pay as if you were not on leave. The contributions may be collected from your pay when you return to work where necessary. If you're absent with no pay due to sickness or injury, the extra contributions are deemed to have been paid. This applies if you:

  • Entered into a contract to buy extra pension (ARCs) prior to 1 April 2014
  • Entered into a contract to count pre 6 April 1988 membership for a surviving eligible cohabiting partner’s pension prior to 1 April 2014
  • Entered into a contract to buy extra LGPS membership (added years)prior to 1 April 2008
  • Entered into a contract to pay additional pension contributions (APCs) or to pay shared cost APCs

If you've entered into a contract to buy back previous part time service by paying extra pension contributions and you're absent from work due to any of the reasons previously mentioned, with full, reduced or no pay, you must continue to pay the extra pension contributions you had contracted to pay as if you were not on leave. The contributions may be collected from your pay when you return to work where necessary.

If you're paying additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) or shared cost AVCs (SCAVCs) which commenced on or after 1 April 2014 and you're absent from work due to any of the reasons previously mentioned, with full, reduced or no pay, then providing that you've sufficient pay to cover the AVC or SCAVC contract, they remain payable. If you have a period of authorised, unpaid leave you may elect to continue payments in respect of any AVC or SCAVC contracts.

If the pensionable pay is less than your AVC amount due, you should make alternative arrangements to pay directly to the AVC provider.

If you're paying AVCs or SCAVCs which commenced before 1 April 2014 and you're absent from work due to any of the reasons previously mentioned, then you may continue to make payments in respect of any such AVC or SCAVS contracts. If you're paying AVCs for extra life cover should you arrange to continue with these payments throughout your leave or cover will stop.

The contributions may be collected from your pay when you return to work where necessary.

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