When you are thinking about retiring you should discuss your situation with your employer. If you are unsure who your employer is, ask your line manager.
Before you agree a retirement date
Your employer should request an estimate of benefits from us for you anytime within 6 months before your expected date of retirement. You are allowed one estimate within a 12 month period.
You need this estimate so you can make informed decisions. You cannot request an estimate yourself from us; the request must come from your employer. This is because they must provide us with your pay details.
If your estimate is for voluntary retirement, you must confirm to your employer if you want to take your pensions benefits immediately when you leave.
When you have agreed a retirement date
When you have agreed your date of retirement, your employer writes to you explaining the retirement process. They include a retirement declaration form with their letter. You complete the form and return it to them.
Your employer contacts their payroll provider to request your pay details. They record these on a Pension Leaver Details (PLD) form.
Your employer sends a retirement pack to us containing:
- Retirement declaration form (completed by you) Find out how to complete the retirement declaration form
- PLD (completed by the payroll provider)
- Notification of retirement form (completed by your employer).
Payment of your pension
If the contents of the retirement pack are complete and accurate, we process your benefits within 20 working days from the date it was received, or from the date of retirement if this is later. If any document is incomplete it is returned, and the 20 working days timeline restarts when we receive the document again. Working days are Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.
When we process your pension benefits we write to you about the payment of your annual pension and any lump sum retiring allowance that may be due.
If you have in-house AVCs
If you pay in-house Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs), the process will usually take longer than 20 working days. This is because we must work with your AVC provider to arrange payment of the fund value from their scheme. Find out about AVCs on retirement
Pre retirement course
We offer a free pre retirement course for those who have contributed to to the LGPS and are within 10 years of taking their pension. Find out about the pre retirement course