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Changes and options during membership

You will need to notify Peninsula Pensions when an employee has a change in personal details or contractual changes in the following circumstances: 

  • Change of name or address 
  • Change in employment 
  • Change in Hours (please see note below regarding term-time employees) 
  • Unpaid leave of absence, maternity leave, adoption leave, and strikes 

Any changes need to be submitted to us as soon as possible after the change has occurred. 

  • What you need to do

    You can submit employee changes in bulk via our interface. You can find out more information on the monthly interfaces here. 

  • A note regarding term-time members

    How you record hours for term-time members depends on whether you are part of the Devon Pension Fund or the Somerset Pension Fund, so you will need to follow the guidance below when adding a member on the Interface. 

    Somerset CC Fund employees: The pay is reduced according to the total number of weeks worked each year not the hours, so just state the actual part-time hours over the full-time equivalent hours e.g.; 18.50/37.00 and 50% in the percentage. 

    Devon CC Fund employees:  

    Hours are adjusted not the pensionable pay, so the term-time adjustment should be done to the hours – this can be done in 2 ways: 

    1) Using a week’s factor: actual weekly hours / 37.00 x 43.145 (weeks Factor) / 52.143 (FTE annual hours) 

    (18.50 / 37.00 x 43.145 / 52.143 x 100 = 41.3718%) 

    or 

    2) Using annual hours: actual weekly hours x weeks worked: 20 hours per week x 40 weeks per year = 800 total actual hours per annum 

    total actual hours per annum / full-time equivalent annual hours: 800 / 1700 x 100 = 48.2353%** 

    ** If you use SIMS Payroll software, the percentage you need is stated in the ‘Pay factor’ field 

    • Multiple employments

    Where an employee has multiple posts that are separate contracts, you will need to keep separate records. 

    The exception to this is where there is a single employment relationship for example: 

  • Two concurrent employments – both must be terminated 
  • Two sequential employments without a break (i.e. promotion)
  • What you need to do

    In cases of multiple employments with separate contracts you will need to:

    • keep separate data for each job
    • provide separate data for main scheme and 50/50 scheme for each job
    • provide actual pensionable pay figures to include any assumed pay for each job
    • submit separate pension forms for each separate job

    • 50/50 Pension Scheme

    Since 1 April 2014, there have been two sections to the Local Government Pension Scheme: 

  • The main 100/100 section 
  • The 50/50 section 

By paying into the 50/50 section, the member pays half the contributions for half the benefits – the member’s pension accrues at 1/98th instead of 1/49th. 

The 50/50 option is useful for members who don’t want to opt out of the pension scheme but are finding it difficult to pay their full pension contributions each month. It is not designed to replace long-term membership of the main section but has been introduced as a short-term option for when times are tough financially. 

The member has to complete the 50/50 Section form and then pass to you to action their request accordingly. 

  • Points to note
    • All new eligible employees must be brought into the main scheme on joining so cannot complete a 50/50 election prior to becoming a member of the LGPS
    • Employees can then elect to join the 50/50 section, and if they do so before the first payroll is closed, they can be brought into the 50/50 section from the first day of their employment
    • You continue to pay the full employer’s contribution rate to ensure that the member receives the same level of life and ill-health cover. This is done so that benefits will be calculated as if the member was in the main section of the Scheme
    • If the member has multiple contracts, they can pay into the 50/50 on one employment and the full scheme on others
    • Members will automatically revert to the main scheme if they go onto unpaid sickness, injury or child-related leave provided that the member is still on no pay at the beginning of that pay period. This is to ensure they receive full benefits for this period of no pay. Once they return to work, they will be able to opt into the 50/50 section scheme again if they so wish.
    • When you reach your “automatic re-enrolment date”, any members in the 50/50 section must be moved back to the main section from the beginning of the following pay period. Members can elect to go back into the 50/50 section and if the election is received before the payroll is closed, the member would have continuous 50/50 membership
    • The member can elect to re-join the main section at any time by completing the Main Scheme form. They would remain in that section until they make a subsequent election to move back to the 50/50 section
    • There is no limit to the number of times a member can move between the two sections
    • If a member is paying additional pension contributions, they may not be able to continue to do so under the same terms in the 50/50 section. However, they will be able to take out a new contract to purchase additional pension or pay additional voluntary contributions
  • What you need to do
    • On receipt of the member’s completed 50/50 Election form, you will need to complete the “For Official Use Only” section and notify payroll to adjust the contribution rate from the next available pay period
    • Once processed, a copy of the actioned election must be forwarded to Peninsula Pensions
    • Notify us of 50/50 actual pensionable pay periods and changes between the full scheme and 50/50 scheme
    • Bring the member back into the main scheme after a nil pay period, auto re-enrolment date or on election

    You must hold records for each section of the scheme and separately per job of:

    • the cumulative pensionable pay paid
    • employee contributions deducted during membership of that section within the scheme year
    • the dates the member joined and ceased membership of each section
    • If an employee is moved back to the main section due to absence with no pay, automatic re-enrolment or on election, you will need to notify us of the applicable date and amended contribution rate

    • Authorised unpaid leave

    When a member has an unpaid break, a period of unpaid maternity, or strike break, and no pay is received it does not count for pension purposes and they will have a period of ‘lost’ pension.

    On return to work, you must inform the member that they can elect to buy the ‘lost’ pension by paying Additional Pension Contributions (APC) and therefore the period will count in full for pension purposes.

    If the member elects to pay for the period of ‘lost pension’ within 30 days of returning to work, you must enter into a Shared Cost Additional Pension Contributions (SCAPC) arrangement in which the member will pay 1/3rd of the cost and you will pay 2/3rd’s. You have the discretion to extend the period by which the member must elect to pay. For example, the 30 days can count from the date of your notification rather than the date they return to work.

    If the member elects after the 30 days deadline, they can still buy back the amount of lost pension, but it will be at whole cost to them. Active members can opt to pay at any time and can cover the lost pension for a period of absence up to a maximum of 36 months.

  • Strike action

    If a member goes on strike, they will not receive any pay and therefore will lose pension. They can elect to purchase lost pension following strike action at any time whilst still an active member, but it is at full cost to them. There is no option for a shared cost arrangement with the employer.

    Please refer to the Local Government Association (LGA) frequently asked questions (FAQs) to cover the common questions asked when LGPS members take strike action.

  • Reserve forces leave

    the member may be eligible to be in the Armed Forces Pension Scheme however they can elect to remain a member of the LGPS. If they do, contributions are paid through the Ministry of Defence. Any actual pay you pay to the member (reservist) whilst they’re on Reserve Forces Leave is not pensionable. Please refer to the LGA HR guide for more information.

    Please see the Additional Pension Contributions (APC) and Absences page for more information.

  • What you need to do
    • Inform the member on return to work of the SCAPC option. Your notification must state:
      • the amount of lost pensionable pay
      • instructions on how they can purchase the ‘lost pension’
      • Refer members to the Absences page which links to the on-line calculator and the election forms for member needs to complete to send to you and us
    • When you receive the signed election form from the member, you must:
      • check that the information on the form is correct – please see the employers guide to Buying lost pension for what you need to check and what you need to do if the form is incorrect
      • set up the payroll deduction
      • complete the Employer Confirmation form and send it to Peninsula Pensions along with a copy of the members election form
      • send a confirmation letter to member

    • Quick guide to contributions and absences

  • Authorised unpaid leave
    • No employee contributions
    • No employer contributions
    • No CARE pension accrued but member has option to buy ‘lost’ pension via an APC
  • Unauthorised unpaid leave
    • No employee contributions
    • No employer contributions
    • No CARE pension accrued but member has option to buy ‘lost’ pension via an APC
  • Jury service
    • No employee contributions
    • No employer contributions
    • No CARE pension accrued but member has option to buy ‘lost’ pension via an APC
  • Trade disputes (strike)
    • No employee contributions
    • No employer contributions
    • No CARE pension accrued but member has option to buy ‘lost’ pension via an APC
  • Sickness or injury
    • Employee contributions paid on actual pay received
    • Employer contributions paid on Assumed Pensionable Pay (APP)
    • CARE pension accrues as normal at 1/49th of Assumed Pensionable Pay (APP) (or 1/98th if in 50/50 section)
  • Ordinary child related leave (maternity, paternity, adoption or statutory leave)
    • Employee contributions paid on actual pay received
    • Employer contributions paid on Assumed Pensionable Pay (APP)
    • CARE pension accrues as normal at 1/49th of Assumed Pensionable Pay (APP) (or 1/98th if in 50/50 section)
  • Paid additional child related leave
    • No employee contributions
    • No employer contributions
    • No CARE pension accrued but member has option to buy ‘lost’ pension via an APC
  • KIT days
    • Employee contributions paid on actual pay received
    • Employer contributions paid on higher of actual pay received or APP
    • CARE pension accrues as normal at 1/49th of Assumed Pensionable Pay (APP) (Or 1/98th if in 50/50 section)
  • Reserve forces service leave

    If elected to remain in LGPS, contributions are paid through Ministry of Defence (MOD). Please see the HR Guide on the LGPS Website for more guidance

  • Additional contracts, APC's, SCAP's, AVC's, SCAV's, ARC's ASBC's, added years, PTBB

    Member paying extra contributions for can be quite complex so please refer to the HR and Payroll Guides on the LGPS Website for more guidance.

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