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How much does it cost

This page explains the different levels of contributions that you and your employer may pay depending on your situation.

The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) website has a useful tool called the ‘Contributions calculator' to help you work out how much you'll pay out of your weekly or monthly wage in contributions to the Scheme. Use the LGPS Contributions calculator to work out your contributions.

For more details about contributions, click the boxes below.

How much will I contribute?

The amount you contribute will depend on your pensionable earnings. These are split into contribution bands and are updated on 1 April every year.

Band Main Section contribution rate 1/49th accrual 50:50 Section* contribution rate Pensionable pay range from 1 April 2024 based on the assessed pensionable pay you receive
Band 1 5.5% 2.75% Up to £17,600
Band 2 5.8% 2.9% £17,601 to £27,600
Band 3 6.5% 3.25% £27,601 to £44,900
Band 4 6.8% 3.4% £44,901 to £56,800
Band 5 8.5% 4.25% £56,801 to £79,700
Band 6 9.9% 4.95% £79,701 to £112,900
Band 7 10.5% 5.25% £112,901 to £133,100
Band 8 11.4% 5.7% £133,101 to £199,700
Band 9 12.5% 6.25% £199,701 or more

 

*50:50 Section contribution rates only apply if you’ve chosen to be in the 50:50 section instead of the Main Section.

 

You’ll find more information in our factsheet called How much will I pay into the LGPS?'

How much will my employer contribute?

Your Scheme employer will guarantee to pay the difference between:

  • the sum of what you’ve paid into the Scheme and the investment returns gained by the Fund; and
  • the amount needed to provide you with the benefits that you've been promised

Every 3 years, an independent actuary calculates how much your Scheme employer should pay into the Scheme to provide these benefits. The amount will vary, but generally you contribute approximately one third of the LGPS’s costs, and the remaining two thirds is met through investment returns and contributions from your Scheme employer.

If you're in the 50:50 Section, your Scheme employer still contributes at the full rate.

What happens to my contributions if I’m absent?

If you're absent due to illness or injury, you'll pay contributions on any pensionable pay you receive. If you're receiving reduced or nil pay you'll continue to build up pension, based on an average of your pensionable pay before the reduction.

If you're in the 50:50 Section and you go onto nil pay as a result of illness or injury, you'll be brought back into the Main Section. This means you'll build up pension at a greater rate at no additional cost to you. For more details about 50:50, see our 50:50 Section page.

During any period of ordinary or paid maternity, adoption, paternity, or shared parental leave (child related leave), you'll continue to pay contributions on any pensionable pay you receive. In addition, you'll continue to build up pension, 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. 

You won't build up pension during a period of unpaid additional maternity, adoption or paternity leave. However, you may be able to buy back any ‘lost’ pension by paying additional pension contributions (APCs). Visit our Paying in more page for more details about APCs.

If you're granted an unpaid leave of absence, you won't build up any pension. However, you may be able to buy back any lost pension by paying APCs. If you elect to do this within 30 days of returning to work, your employer will pay two thirds of the cost. This is known as a shared cost additional pension contribution (SCAPC).

In the case of a strike, you may buy back lost pension by paying APCs, though your Scheme employer will not share the cost with you.

If you're absent due to a period of reserve forces leave, you'll pay contributions on your reserve forces pay based on an average of your pensionable pay before the period of leave begins.

If, before going on authorised absence or strike, you were already paying:

  • Additional Regular Contributions (ARCs) and APCs - these will remain payable and your contributions will remain at the fixed monthly amount you normally pay.
  • Added years or Additional Survivor Benefit Contributions (ASBCs) - these remain payable and your contributions will be based on the pensionable pay you would've received if you weren’t on leave.
  • Additional voluntary contributions (IHAVCs) to increase your life cover for death in service benefits - you must continue to pay premiums if you wish the cover to remain valid.

For more details on your options to pay more into the Scheme, see our 'I want to pay more' page.

You can also download our 'Topping up my pension' factsheet for more information.

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