You can choose to transfer your previous membership to your new LGPS membership or to leave it separate.

If you are re-joining the LGPS with a new employer, you can opt to transfer your previous LGPS membership to your new LGPS membership, as this will not be transferred automatically. Your benefits will then be based upon your entire period of LGPS membership and linked to your final pay on leaving your new job.

Any option to transfer your previous LGPS membership must be made within the first 12 months of joining the LGPS, unless your employer allows you longer

If you are moving to a new job which is less well paid, you still have the option to transfer, but you will need to decide whether it may be better to leave your benefits in your old employer’s fund.

Transfers do not apply if your previous membership was as a councillor, or you have been awarded a LGPS pension share on divorce from your ex-spouse or ex-civil partner, you cannot transfer that membership to your new LGPS membership.

In certain circumstances people who left the LGPS during the 1970s and took a refund of their contributions may repay that refund in order to again count the service.

What if I have lost contact with my previous pension provider?

The Pension Tracing Service (PTS) is a free service which aims to help people find pension schemes they have “lost touch” with. This may have happened because of a change in employment or the name of the company may have changed.

Find out more about the Pension Tracing Service