Your state pension

In addition to your Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) benefits, you may also qualify for a state pension paid by the Government from your state pension age.

You basic state pension is based on the national insurance contributions you pay during your working life.

The additional state pension, also known as the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) or State Second Pension (S2P), is the part of your state pension that depends on your earnings since April 1978. If you are a member of the LGPS you are contracted out of the additional state pension and pay lower national insurance contributions as a result.

More information on your state pension is available at the Directgov website at the following web address:

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/StatePension/index.htm