The Government has changed the LGPS to make it fairer for members and their families. Most changes started on 1 April 2026. Some improvements will be backdated.
Fairer survivor benefits
If you die, the LGPS helps support your loved ones. Your husband, wife, civil partner, or eligible partner may get a survivor pension. From 1 April 2026, new rules make survivor pensions fairer and more consistent.
Some survivor pensions will increase, and some people may qualify for the first time. This mainly affects cases where the member left the LGPS before April 1988.
The new rules apply to deaths from:
- 5 December 2005 for opposite sex marriages and same sex civil partnerships
- 14 March 2014 for same sex marriages
- 31 December 2019 for opposite sex civil partnerships.
Some pensions for cohabiting partners’ pensions may also increase if the member died between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2014.
We’ll review any affected pensions. We’ll also pay any backdated amounts with interest.
Changes to death grants
Age limit removed
There’s no longer an age limit for lump sum death grants. We may now pay a death grant even if a member died after age 75. This change applies to deaths from 1 April 2014.
We’ll only pay death grants after age 75 in certain cases. We’ll contact beneficiaries or personal representatives if a payment is due. We’ll add interest to late payments.
More choice over who receives the death grant
We can now choose who should get a late death grant. We no longer have to pay it only to personal representatives.
This change means:
- each beneficiary pays tax at their own tax rate
- payments avoid the 45% tax rate that applies to personal representatives.
Some older AVC arrangements don’t qualify for this change. We usually class a death grant as late if we pay it more than two years after the date of death.
Stronger protection when you’re away from work
From 1 April 2026, the LGPS gives better pension protection during time away from work. These changes help reduce pension losses, especially for women who take time off to care for family.
Child‑related leave
You’ll keep building up pension as if you were on full pay during unpaid:
- additional maternity leave
- additional adoption leave (weeks 27–52)
- shared parental leave.
You don’t need to buy back lost pension for these periods.
Short authorised unpaid breaks
If your employer agrees to unpaid leave of less than 15 days, your pension will still build up as normal. You and your employer will both pay the pension contributions you would have paid if you were working. These rules don’t apply to strike action.
Unpaid leave of 15 days or more
Unpaid leave of 15 days or more doesn’t count automatically for pension. You can choose to buy back some or all of the pension you lose.
For unpaid leave starting from 1 April 2026, improved rules apply:
- you’ve up to one year to decide whether to buy back pension
- contributions are based on your normal pay and contribution rate
- your employer also pays their share
- the pension matches what you would have built up at work
- you don’t need a medical report.
Your employer will tell you the costs and how to pay.
