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This section deals with the action necessary when active members leave your employment before retirement or if they opt-out of the Scheme.
Under the regulations, it is not possible to recover overpayments of salary or other amounts due from employees from pension benefits or transfer value payments, but requests from your employees, who are taking a refund of contributions, to offset against the refund an agreed amount due to your authority may be accepted by the LPFA.
The active member should be given the leaflet "Leaving the Local Government Pension Scheme" which explains the choices open to him. The booklet contains form LG/109 that he uses to notify the LPFA of his choice.
If, in order to choose between taking deferred benefits or a transfer value, the employee needs more information, please ask him to contact the LPFA to request the information before making any decision.
The online Scheme Leaver form must be completed in all cases. This is available on the secure section of www.yourfund.org.uk and must be completed as follows:
Once completed, click on "submit" and keep a note of the reference number generated. Previously submitted forms can be searched for using the reference number or the member's NI number.
If you are still using paper forms, please complete forms LG/101 and LG/102. If you hold a "Nomination of Beneficiary for the payment of Death Grant" form in respect of the active member, this should also be forwarded to the LPFA.
Where an active member is dismissed for reasons other than ill-health, redundancy, or in the interests of the efficiency of your organisation's functions, the procedure for resignation should be followed.
If dismissal is in consequence of a criminal, negligent or fraudulent act or omission in connection with their employment and if the employer has incurred financial loss, this may lead to the payment of compensation to the employer out of the Pension Fund. If the member is convicted of an offence committed in connection with his employment, this may lead to the individual forfeiting some or all of his accrued pension rights.
Full details of such cases should be sent to the LPFA, who will then advise accordingly.
If an active member wishes to opt-out of the Pension Scheme after a period during which contributions have been paid, they should complete form LGPS/X. This must be returned to the LPFA via yourselves. If the member opts-out within three months of joining you should refund the employee's contributions and adjust their National Insurance contributions through your payroll. If the member opts-out after more than three months of joining you should treat the case as a voluntary resignation (see paragraph 6.2 above). The reason for leaving given on the online leaver form and paper forms LG/101 and LG/102 should be OPTED-OUT. When using the paper forms, please ensure that a copy of the form LGPS/X is also sent to the LPFA.