Published
9th June 2026
Pensions for Councillors
With effect from 11 May 2026, membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) has been reopened to councillors, elected mayors and deputy mayors in England and to London Assembly members who are under the age of 75.
The LGPS for councillors is a defined benefit Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme and is guaranteed by law. The calculation of your pension is based on the time you have been a member of the scheme and your average allowances during your period of membership as a councillor.
Below is a brief overview of the key elements of the Scheme for councillors in England.
Councillors in England
Access to the LGPS for councillors in England was closed from 1 April 2014 to 10 May 2026. The key elements of the councillors’ pensions section from 11 May 2026 are as below:
Joining the scheme – Councillors are not contractually or automatically enrolled into the LGPS. If you wish to join, you must actively opt in to the LGPS. If you make an election to join, you will be admitted from the beginning of the next pay period. To elect to join the scheme, please complete the following form: Elected member opt-in form
Contributions – As a member, you pay contributions to the Scheme on your basic allowance and any special responsibility allowances. Contribution rates are banded based on your actual allowances and the current contributions rates are between 5.5% and 12.5% of your allowances. If you wish, you can half your contributions by electing for the 50/50 section of the scheme.
Benefits – Your benefits build up on a career average basis at 1/49th of your allowances for each year of your scheme membership. If you leave the LGPS with at least two years’ membership, you will be entitled to a pension when you retire. Your normal pension age is the same as your State Pension Age; however you may retire between the ages of 55 and 75. Benefits commencing before State Pension Age will be paid at a reduced rate and those commencing after State Pension Age will be paid at a higher rate.
Transferring benefits – Whilst you are not allowed to combine other non-elected LGPS memberships you have with your councillors’ LGPS pension, you can combine multiple periods of LGPS councillor membership together. When you leave the scheme, you can choose to transfer your pension to another scheme provided you meet certain legal criteria.
As a councillor member of the Scheme your employer cannot buy you additional pension, and you cannot have your pension put into payment early on redundancy grounds, as councillors cannot be made redundant.
Further information can be found here: Elected member LGPS introductory leaflet
