Many people don’t realise that the EAPF has the flexibility for you to choose to pay less in the ‘50:50 Section’.
Joining this section, you’ll pay half your normal contribution for half the amount of pension, so you can still build up pension savings for your future when things are difficult financially.
Plus, your ill health and death benefits will remain unchanged when paying into the 50:50 Section.
As well as this, because pension contributions attract tax relief, it might not cost as much as you might think to be in the pension scheme – whether that’s the Main Section, or the 50:50 Section. You can check what you’d pay on the LGPS contributions calculator for both options.
Use the LGPS Contributions calculator
The 50:50 Section is designed to be a short term option, meaning that you'll be re-enrolled into the Main Section automatically at our next ‘auto-re-enrolment’ date which is March 2025 (auto re-enrolment happens once every 3 years).
Following re-enrolment, if you’d like to continue paying half your normal contribution, you can then make a further election to rejoin the 50:50 Section.
If you'd like to join the 50:50 Section, please complete and return our 50:50 Section election form.