In order to use this service all you need to do is register at the following website www.leicestershirepensionfund.org to set up a secure user account linked to your pension record. You will need your National Insurance number to hand in order to register.

As a result of offering this service we will not be issuing new pensioners with a printed pension advice via the post.

The same also applies to your annual P60 statement.

What do the initials 'GMP' mean on my payslip?

Your Local Government Pension is not the State pension, but it can have a relationship with the state pension.

In the past the State pension was related to earning on which National Insurance contributions were paid and it consisted of two parts.

A basic state pension, and
An additional pension related to earnings known then as SERPS but more recently as S2P (State second pension).

However, pension schemes, such as ours, which provided an alternative to S2P could “contract out” of this part of the State pension scheme. So members in schemes such as the LGPS paid pension contributions into its own occupational scheme (Leicestershire County Council Pension Fund) and as a result paid lower National Insurance contributions.

As part of this arrangement theLeicestershire County Council Pension Fund guarantees that at State pension age the benefits from the scheme will be at least as much as the additional pension they would have received from the State had they remained within S2P and not been contracted out. This is known as the Guaranteed Minimum Pension or GMP.

In the vast majority of cases the pension from the LGPS will be far more than the guaranteed minimum.

To cut a long story short, changes in legislation introduced two types of GMP from 1988, known as pre 88 GMP’s based on service from 6.4.75 to 5.4.88, and post 88 GMP’s based on service from 6.4.88 to 5.4.97.

It is perhaps important to recognise here that the GMP is paid as part of your overall pension and not as an addition.

So, how does all of this affect my pension increase? Well the Leicestershire County Council Pension Fund doesn’t pay any increase on Pre 88 GMP, the increase due on any GMP relating to service prior to 6th April 1988 will be paid with your State Pension by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

The Leicestershire County Council Pension Fund will though pay an increase on Post 88 GMP, up to a maximum of 3%, as part of your annual pension. Any increase over 3% will be paid along with your State Pension by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

The remainder of your pension, after the setting aside of the GMP components, will be increased by the annual increase rate, e.g. 2.2% for 2013.

This explains why your annual pension increase is sometimes lower than the full percentage increase as only certain components are increased byLeicestershire County Council Pension Fund.

Please be assured that overall your state pension and Local Government Pension when combined will increase by the year’s full rate.

How do I prove my pension entitlement to a third party?

You may, from time to time be asked by other organisations such as HMRC or your local Housing Benefit office to confirm in writing how much pension you are receiving from Leicestershire County Council, and when the pension becomes payable. Your online account will store a history of your payslips and P60s. Sending copies of these documents to these organisations should hopefully enable your claim to be processed without any delay. The printed version of our online P60s has been approved by HMRC.

What do I do about tax queries?

Should you have a form to complete from the Inland Revenue, you might be asked for Leicestershire County Council’s Pension PAYE reference. This is 267/BA42983. Should the tax office ask for your personal payroll reference number please quote your National Insurance number which will be sufficient for the purposes of their form. A personal pay reference will be allocated to you at a later date.

Your pension is taxed at source here at County Hall. However, you might find that a basic rate tax coding is applied while your tax code is being investigated. Any enquiries concerning your tax can be directed to the local tax office, which is Saxon House, Causeway Lane, Leicester, LE1 4AA. The telephone number is 0845 300 0627.

How do I contact the County Council Payroll Team?

Any queries regarding the payment of your pension, such as checking on your latest tax code, payment dates, changes to banking details etc. should be directed to the HR and Pay Help desk, and their telephone number is 0300 303 0222 (Option 2). Or you can e-mail eschelpdesk@leics.gov.uk

Does my pension go up?

The pension is inflation proofed, and until 2010 increased in line with the Retail Prices Index (RPI). From 2011 onwards, the the rate of index will be the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).

From 9th April 2012, the overall pensions increase was 5.2%.

From 8th April 2013, the overall pensions increase is 2.2%.

Is some of your pension listed on your payslip under a code using the abbreviation 'GMP'? If so, the Leicestershire County Council Pension Fund doesn’t pay any increase on pension marked 'Pre 88 GMP', the increase due on any GMP relating to pensionable service prior to 6th April 1988 will be paid with your State Pension by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

The Leicestershire County Council Pension Fund will though pay an increase on any part of your pension listed on your payslip as 'Post 88 GMP', up to a maximum of 3%, as part of your annual pension. Any increase over 3% will be paid along with your State Pension by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

The remainder of your pension, after the setting aside of the GMP elements, will be increased by the annual increase rate, for example it is 2.2% in 2013.

This explains why your annual pension increase is sometimes lower than the full percentage increase as only certain components are increased byLeicestershire County Council Pension Fund.

Please be assured that overall your state pension and Local Government Pension when combined will increase by the year’s full rate.

When is my pension paid?

The pension is paid on the last working day of each month. The 2012-2013 pay dates are as follows:

Tuesday 30th April 2013

Friday 31^st May 2013

Friday 28th June 2013

Wednesday 31st July 2013

Friday 30th August 2013

Monday 30th September 2013

Thursday 31^st October 2013

Friday 29^th November 2013

Tuesday 31st December 2013

Does re-employment and returning to work affect my pension?

If you return to work while receiving a Local Government Pension, normally the answer is no.

However if you retired on either redundancy grounds or efficiency grounds prior to 2006, and received ‘compensatory added years’, and you return to Local Government employment, it could be the case, and you are advised to contact us immediately for an assessment.

How do I notify you of important changes, such as a new address or bank account?

We have introduced a new online service that will allow you to update your address and bank details. This can be done by registering for the service at www.leicestershirepensionfund.org. Once your registration is complete you will be able to tell us about changes to this information by going to the ‘Request And Forms’ page or you can update your contact details by selecting one of the short cuts on the right hand side of the main Personal Details Page.

What happens if I move abroad?

Your pension can still be paid to your UK bank account, but if you do want to investigate the possibility of having your pension paid abroad, subject to a small charge, please contact us and we will check if that country is covered by the scheme we use.

You will also receive what we call a ‘Life Certificate’ each year, for you to sign and verify your address. This helps us combat fraud and also reassures us that our records are up to date.

What will happen to my pension when I die?

Your pension entitlement will cease upon your death, however there could still be some benefits due to your family.

There is an ongoing pension for your husband, wife or civil partner, and also children’s pensions

Eligible children can include your own children, adopted children and certain other children who depend on you financially. They must normally be under 18, but can be as old as 23 if they carry on in full time education or in training for a trade, profession or vocation, or can even cover some adult children who cannot work, because of a disability which arose as a child.

If you have scheme membership after 1^st April 2008, you can also nominate a co-habiting partner to receive a pension in the event of your death. Please click here to see a copy of our leaflet Nominating a Co-habiting Partner (PDF, 594KB) which contains a nomination form and important information so you can check if your relationship qualifies under the rules.

There can also be a lump sum payable should you have died within a relatively short time after retiring. You can complete a nomination form and declare a beneficiary if you have not already done so. A copy of our Death Grant Expression of Wish form (PDF, 178KB) can be downloaded here.

If you have scheme membership after 1^st April 2008, and you die on pension before age 75, we will pay out a lump sum if you have not drawn a full ten years’ pension. If you left between 1^st April 1998 and 31^st March 2008, it can be five years. If you left earlier than this, then it does vary from case to case.

The Pension Section will always advise relatives if there are any monies due to the family.

Please ensure your relatives know you have a Leicestershire County Council pension in case something happens to you, so that it is easy for them to contact us.

Page Last Updated: 15 May 2013