After leaving: your deferred pension

Your deferred pension

You will have a deferred (frozen) pension if:

  • you have left your job or opted out of the LGPS before it was due to be paid and
  • you satisfied the vesting period
What to expect:
  • The value of your deferred pension will increase each year in April in line with government orders, currently the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
  • You cannot pay any more into your pension after it has become deferred.
  • You cannot claim your pension before age 55 except on ill health grounds, see: Claim your pension for details.
  • Pension Services will produce an annual benefit statement for you every year, on each deferred pension that we hold for you.

You may have more than one deferred LGPS pension, for example if you paid into the LGPS in more than one job.

Note: The government sets the earliest age at which you can access your pension savings under normal circumstances. This is currently age 55 as indicated above - however it is rising to age 57 from 6 April 2028.

Annual Benefit Statements

Annual benefit statements are issued annually and show the updated value of your benefits (including the increase for inflation) at the end of each financial year. These statements are normally issued by the end of August and can be viewed via our Member Portal.

We recommend that you register for our Member Portal as it has many benefits. For example, in addition to viewing your annual benefit statement you can also view your service, change your personal details or send us a secure message.

You will receive a separate annual benefit statement for each deferred pension account that you have.

If you do not wish to receive your statements and other information online, you will need to opt out in writing. Please include your National Insurance number so that we can identify your record. 

You can find more information here, see: information about Annual Benefit Statements.

Transferring to another scheme

You may be able to transfer your deferred pension to another pension scheme provided that you elect to do so at least one year before your normal pension age (NPA), see: transfer value for a deferred pension member.

Re-joining the LGPS

If you re-join the LGPS, your deferred pension will normally be added to your new pension account. If you do not want this to happen, you must notify us within a year of re-joining the scheme (or longer if your employer's policy allows). See: information about re-joining the LGPS.

Ill health retirement from a deferred pension

You can apply to your former employer to receive your pension on ill health grounds at any age. They will arrange a medical examination with an independent doctor. Your former employer will decide whether or not your pension can be paid early, without reductions.

If your former employer has closed or no longer exists then you can apply to the pension fund - contact Pension Services.

Past Members - Ill health retirement

Useful information