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Underpin
The LGPS changed to a career average scheme in 2014. Pension built up in the remedy period between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2022 is protected for qualifying members. This protection is known as the underpin. Underpin protection ended earlier if you left the LGPS or reached age 65 before 1 April 2022.
The underpin makes sure that protected members get a pension that’s at least as good as they would have had if the LGPS had remained a final salary scheme until 2022.
You’re protected by the underpin if you:
- were an active member of the LGPS or another public service pension scheme before 1 April 2012
- were a member of the LGPS in the remedy period – 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2022
- were under your 2008 scheme normal pension age (generally age 65) during all or part of the remedy period, and
- haven’t had a gap in active membership of a public service pension scheme of more than five years.
You’re not protected by the underpin if you left the LGPS or reached age 65 before 1 April 2014.
If you’re protected, we’ll do an underpin check when you take your pension. We’ll check that the pension you’ve built up in the career average scheme during the remedy period is at least as good as you would have built up in the final salary scheme. If it isn’t, your pension will be increased.
The underpin removes the discrimination found in the McCloud court case. You can find out more about how your pension might be affected by the underpin on the LGPS member site.
