Active members

In this section:

• New joiners
• Automatic Enrolment 2023
• Absences from work
• Increasing your pension benefits
• Opting out
• Paying less into your pension
• Considering retirement
• Death in service benefits

See also:

• Divorce proceedings

Automatic Enrolment 2023

Automatic enrolment is a Government initiative to help more people save for later life through a pension scheme at work. It requires employers to automatically enrol their eligible workers into a pension scheme and to contribute to it.

If you are a new employee who is eligible to join the LGPS you will be entered into the scheme when you start (if you are under age 75 and have a contract of employment for three months or more) as part of your contract of employment. If you opted out more than 12 months preceding the re-enrolment date then your employer will be required to re-enrol you into the LGPS.

If you have been auto enrolled recently and wish to opt out of the scheme or move to the 50/50 section, you can do this by completing the appropriate form.

How to complete the form

The opt out form or 50/50 form can be completed electronically (in Word or PDF format) and sent via the member’s work email address.

Members that do not have access to a work email can send the form electronically from their personal email address but need to include a clear copy of their ID (passport, driving license, or birth certificate).

Members that do not have access to an email address can print the form to paper, complete it in full ensuring the form is signed by hand and send it via post to the address on the form.

Sending the form by post

Members can send their completed form via post to:

Pensions Shared Service
PO Box 72351
London
SW18 9LQ

Sending the form by email

Members can email their completed opt out or 50-50 form to the dedicated pension inbox at pensions@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk.

Please note that emailed forms must be sent directly by the member and not a representative of the member.

The subject line in the email should be: “The name of your Pension Fund, (example: Camden, Merton, Wandsworth) AE 2023 Opt Out or 50-50 form”.

For example: Wandsworth AE 2023 Opt out or Camden AE 2023 50-50.

The form should be completed in full and attached to the email, you must insert the required phrase into the body of the email containing the form:

• Phrase for opt outs: I confirm that I personally submitted this election to opt out of a workplace pension scheme
• Phrase for 50/50: I personally submitted this election

If the phrase is not included in the body of the email or the form is not completed in full, it will need to be resubmitted as it will not be actioned.