Transfer another pension into your LGPS pension

You have up to 12 months after joining the LGPS in your current employment to transfer in any previous pensions. After this deadline passes, you would require your employer’s permission.

You can transfer pensions into your account as long as you are:

• under 75
• actively paying into to the LGPS

You cannot have left your LGPS employment, opted out of the scheme or taken payment of your pension.

The types of previous pensions you can transfer in include:

• occupational pensions
• self-employed pensions
• personal pensions
• stakeholder pensions
• pension ‘buy out’ policy

Check with your previous pension provider first that the pension can be transferred.

While we can accept most types of transfers, there are some circumstances where we won’t be able to accept the transfer value. We will let you know if this applies to you after we receive information about your previous pension.

It is free to transfer into the LGPS. However, other pension providers may charge administration or discharge fees. Ask your previous provider if this would apply in your case.

To investigate a transfer, you will first need to obtain a transfer estimate from us.

Once you receive the estimate you will then be able to make a decision about whether you wish to transfer in your previous pension. The estimate will tell you how much the value of your previous pension would be worth in the LGPS. You can then compare this to the benefits you would have received from your previous pension provider.

You are under no obligation to proceed with the transfer at this stage. Requesting an estimate does not confirm to us that you wish to proceed. You will need to complete the necessary forms before the transfer can progress any further.

If your previous pension provider was a public sector scheme we may be able to accept your transfer on Club terms.

See the civil service's list of public sector transfer club members.

Club terms mean that:

• you will receive roughly the equivalent of what you would have received in the previous scheme
• while paying in, the amount of extra pension added to your LGPS account from the transfer will be adjusted each year according to the revaluation rate in the previous scheme

You will only be able to transfer on Club terms if you:

• apply within 12 months of joining the LGPS
• haven’t had a break of more than 5 years from paying into a public sector pension scheme

If you meet this criteria, your previous public sector pension scheme will usually provide you with a club Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV) when you inform them you are investigating the possibility of a transfer to the LGPS.

However, you should be aware that there are some circumstances where transferring under club terms may be less favourable than a non-club transfer.

More information can be found on the civil service website.

So that we can supply you with the estimate, you will need to obtain information from your previous pension provider. We will not be able to approach your previous pension provider to obtain this on your behalf.

To get a transfer estimate:

1. Request the Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV) from your previous pension provider. This must be sent to you on headed paper. We cannot accept a figure provided by you. If your previous pension provider was a ‘club’ scheme, you should advise them that you are transferring to another ‘club’ scheme as the CETV will be calculated differently.
2. Upload your documents to My Pension Online or email it to us at: [email protected]. If you email the CETV to us, ensure you include your full name and National Insurance number.

You will require your employer’s permission to transfer if you joined the LGPS in your current employment over 12 months ago.

To approach your employer to request an extension:

1. complete section 1 of the Transfer in Extension Request Form
2. forward it to your employer who will complete section 2 and sign it before returning it back to you. They will also provide us with a copy
3. if your employer has agreed to allow the transfer, obtain the CETV from your previous pension provider
4. login to My Pension Online and upload your documents or email them to: [email protected]

You must also provide us with your full name and National Insurance number.

The employer’s section must be completed by someone who has the authority to make decisions about late transfers on behalf of your organisation. This may not be your line manager. You may wish to check with your employer’s HR department to ensure you submit your form to the correct person.

The decision to allow a transfer after the deadline is at your employer’s discretion. You may wish to ask your employer for their policy on permitting late transfers before you apply.

If your employer gives you permission to transfer, it will be valid for 12 months from the date they sign the form.

If the transfer does not complete within this timeframe, you will need to re-apply to your employer and provide us with a revised form.

Once we have received your request, we'll calculate how much your previous pension would be worth if it was converted into LGPS pension. This value will only be guaranteed until the deadline provided in the letter.

We aim to provide this to you within 10 working days of receiving all the required information. However, it can take longer if we require any further information either from you or your employer. The letter sets out some things you may wish to consider in making a decision. Please review this information carefully.

We recommend you obtain independent financial advice where possible before making any decision about your LGPS pension. For more information, see: Get help with decisions about your pension

If you choose to proceed with the transfer, you must return the following information by the deadline given in the letter:

• the completed ‘transfer in option’ form sent to you with the estimate
• any forms your previous pension provider has requested you or we complete
• a copy of a current date of birth verification document

Date of birth verifications we can accept include:

• a passport
• a birth certificate
• the photo portion of a driver’s licence

This does not need to be an original copy, a scanned or photocopy will be sufficient.

If the date of birth verification is not the same name you currently use, you will also need to provide us with a further document to evidence the name change, e.g. a marriage or deed poll certificate.

If we don’t hear back from you by the deadline provided to you in the letter, we will assume you do not wish to proceed and your case will be closed.

The estimate is only guaranteed until the deadline shown in the letter. If you provide your forms after this deadline, we may still be able to proceed with the transfer if you are within 12 months of joining the LGPS in your current employment, but the values quoted to you may change.

If you return your forms after the deadline in the letter and you enrolled in your LGPS employment more than12 months ago, you will require your employer’s permission to transfer.

We will also not be able to accept the transfer on club terms where this applies.