Not yet a member of the LGPS?

Information about who can join Oxfordshire's Local Government Pension Scheme and how to opt-in.

On this page

Eligible employees

Automatic membership

You are automatically eligible to be in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) if you are:

  • under age 75 and
  • have a contract of employment of at least three months and 
  • are employed in local government. That is: county and district councils academy schools (excluding teachers) colleges of further and higher education (excluding teachers).

Optional membership

The LGPS also provides a pension for:

  • employees of town and parish councils and other organisations (after setting up formal resolutions and agreed by the pension fund)
  • non-local government employers providing public service or contracted to provide services.

Firefighters have their own pension scheme. 

Contracts under three months

If your contract of employment is for less than three months you can still choose to join the scheme. 

Casual employees

You may be able to join the scheme during your casual employment the details of eligibility are likely to be on your employer’s casual work claim form.

Rejoining the scheme

The LGPS is not a compulsory pension scheme. If you elected to opt out before, you can change your mind and elect to join the scheme.

Back to top

Back to top

What happens when you join?

What your employer does

When you join the scheme your employer must tell you:

  • how they will calculate and collect your contributions
  • who to contact if you have questions about those contributions.

Your employer will tell Pension Services that you have joined the scheme.

What Pension Services does

Pension Services will:

  • set up your pension account with the Oxfordshire fund
  • invite you to sign up to My Oxfordshire Pension – where you will manage your pension and update your details online
  • register any scheme protections existing because of declared previous membership
  • give you the opportunity to begin transfer requests from other schemes.

If you have more than one job, each job should open a new pension record.

What you should do

  • Check your payslip to ensure pension deductions have started.
  • Complete the Previous Pension Form when you receive it and return it to Pension Services.
  • Sign up to My Oxfordshire Pension to stay informed and keep your details up to date.

Back to top

Join or opt-in to the LGPS

If you elected to opt-out before, you can change your mind and join again.

Eligibility

Check you are eligible to join the scheme before completing the form. Eligibility is explained at the top of this page.

Return the opt-in form to your employer

Complete and send the opt-in form below to your employer. If you have more than one job, you will need to complete a separate form for each job you wish to include in the scheme.

What happens next?

Your employer will check your eligibility to join the scheme and tell you their decision.

Your employer will tell Pension Services you have joined the scheme. Pension Services will then contact you to set up your pension record.

After sending the form to your employer:

  • check your payslip to ensure pension deductions have started
  • keep a copy of the form for your records.

Back to top