Joining the scheme

The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is as a statutory, funded pension scheme and as such it is secure as its benefits are defined in law. Membership of the LGPS should make the job of a councillor more attractive to potential candidates and, as a result, improve the overall quality of decision making in local government.

Membership is available to councillors who are offered membership of the Scheme under the council’s scheme of allowances and who are under age 75. Those who are offered membership are termed eligible councillors. Check your payslip to see if you are paying in and if not, contact your council to see if you can join.

Do I need to complete any forms?

• If you have already been issued with a councillor's pension option/membership form (form SU1C), it is important that you complete and return this form to your authority. On receipt of your completed form, relevant records will be set up and an official notification of your membership in the Local Government Pension Scheme will be sent to you.

• If you are an eligible councillor and you have not already been provided with a pension option/membership form, you can download and print off the councillor's pension option/declaration form from the forms page. The completed form should be returned to your authority, who will make the necessary arrangements.

• You may also wish to complete a death grant nomination form, which allows you to nominate who or where you would like your death grant to be paid to

For further information, please contact the Pension Office. Contact details can be found on the Contacting us page.