There are several main differences in how the LGPS rules apply to elected members. Some of which are:
- Elected members and mayors are not employees, so you do not have an employer in the usual sense. Instead, the authority that pays your pensionable allowance or salary is treated as the LGPS Scheme employer and carries out the usual employer responsibilities, such as meeting part of the cost of pension benefits.
- Elected members are not contractually or automatically enrolled into the LGPS. You must actively opt in if you want to build up pension benefits.
- The rules around what counts as ‘pensionable pay’ are different for elected members. For more information, please visit the LGPS member website’s pensionable pay for elected members
- You cannot choose to combine memberships from elected and non-elected posts.
- You cannot claim your pension on the grounds of flexible retirement or redundancy.
- Your Scheme employer cannot award you extra pension or pay into a shared cost AVC for you, unless the AVC is set up as a salary sacrifice shared cost AVC.
- Scheme employers cannot share the cost of Additional Pension Contributions (APCs) for elected members unless the arrangement is a qualifying additional pension arrangement (QAPA)