LGPS Pension Calculator & Interactive Simulator 2026–27

An interactive unofficial simulator for the LGPS in England & Wales, including teaching assistants, school business staff, technicians, site staff and other school support employees. Explore how career breaks, part-time work, the 50/50 section and different retirement ages could affect your future pension.

Your Details

Use this where you have pre-2008 service. For deferred members, enter the total LGPS membership built up when you left the scheme. Rule of 85 protection is complex and this calculator provides an indication only.
Please enter values from your most recent annual deferred benefit statement.
For post-2014 LGPS benefits this is normally linked to State Pension Age. Older benefits may have different protected ages.
Future Assumptions
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Frequently Asked Questions

CARE stands for Career Average Revalued Earnings. It's the system the LGPS has used for all members since 1 April 2014. Each year, you build up a 'slice' of annual pension equal to 1/49th of your pensionable pay in the main section. Your pension account is then revalued in line with the scheme rules. This calculator models your pension based on these CARE scheme rules.

An Active member is currently working in a role that is part of the LGPS and is actively paying contributions. A Deferred member has left their LGPS role but has not yet retired. Their pension is 'preserved' and continues to increase with inflation each year until they decide to draw it. This calculator can project retirement figures for both types of members.

Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) are the most common way to increase your retirement benefits. Think of it as a separate savings pot that sits alongside your main LGPS pension.

How is it different from my main pension?
Your main LGPS pension is a 'Defined Benefit' scheme, which guarantees you a specific, inflation-proofed income for life. Your AVC pot is a 'Defined Contribution' pot; its final value depends on how much you contribute and the investment growth it achieves over time.

What are the main benefits?
  • Tax Relief: You get tax relief on your contributions. AVC contributions normally receive Income Tax relief. For a basic-rate taxpayer, a £100 gross contribution may reduce take-home pay by about £80, subject to the payroll arrangement and individual tax position.
  • Flexible Retirement Options: When an in-house AVC is taken with your LGPS pension, some or all of the AVC may potentially be available as tax-free cash, subject to the overall tax-free lump-sum limits and your individual circumstances. Other options can include providing retirement income or transferring the AVC.
How do I start an AVC?
You need to contact your own LGPS pension fund administrator (e.g., your county council or pension partnership). They will have an official 'in-house' AVC provider that you can pay into directly from your salary.

There are two main ways to get a lump sum from your main LGPS pension:
  • Automatic Lump Sum (Pre-2008 Service): If you were a member before 1 April 2008, you have an automatic tax-free lump sum based on your service up to that date. This calculator has a dedicated input field for this.
  • Commutation (Giving up pension): You can choose to give up some of your annual pension in exchange for a tax-free lump sum. For every £1 of annual pension you give up, you get £12 of tax-free cash. The "Lump Sum Planning Tools" on this page let you model this trade-off.
A third way is to take your separate AVC pot (see above) as a tax-free lump sum.

The Rule of 85 is a transitional protection that may apply if you were contributing to the LGPS at some point between 1 April 1998 and 30 September 2006. Meeting the age-plus-membership test does not automatically mean all benefits are unreduced: protection depends on when service was built up, your age and when the pension is taken. The calculator therefore shows only an indication/range; your pension fund must calculate the protected amount.

The 50/50 section is designed as a short-term option to help members remain in the LGPS during periods of financial pressure. You pay half your normal contributions and build up half the normal pension for that period, while retaining full life and ill-health cover. Employers periodically re-enrol eligible members into the main section, after which you can elect for 50/50 again if appropriate. The modeller shows the pension effect of using 50/50 for the period you select.

A Salary Sacrifice or Shared Cost AVC (SC-AVC) is the most efficient way to save. While a normal AVC contribution is taken from your pay after National Insurance (NI) is deducted, a Salary Sacrifice contribution is taken before both tax and NI.

This means the arrangement may save Income Tax and National Insurance, reducing the net cost where your employer offers an eligible salary-sacrifice/shared-cost structure.

Example of the difference:
  • Standard AVC: A £100 contribution saves you £20 in tax (at the basic rate). The net cost to you is £80.
  • Salary Sacrifice AVC: A £100 contribution saves you £20 in tax AND ~£8 in National Insurance. The net cost to you is only £72.

If you are also repaying a Student Loan, you could save on those repayments too, making the net cost even lower. You must check with your specific LGPS fund or employer to see if they offer a Salary Sacrifice scheme and to get a precise illustration.

Your contribution rate is not a flat rate; it's tiered based on your annual pensionable pay. The more you earn, the higher the percentage you contribute. LGPS contributions normally receive Income Tax relief through payroll. For a basic-rate taxpayer, a £100 gross contribution may reduce take-home pay by about £80, but the exact effect depends on taxable income, tax code and whether contributions span more than one tax band.

These are the most powerful levers in your projection. For inflation (CPI), the Bank of England's long-term target is 2.0%, which is a sensible default. For pay rises, consider your career path. If you expect promotions, you might use a higher figure (e.g., 3-4%). If you expect to stay in the same role, an assumption closer to the inflation rate (e.g., 2.5%) might be more realistic. Try different figures to see how sensitive your projection is to these changes.

This is a powerful modelling tool designed to provide a very good estimate of your future benefits based on the assumptions you enter. However, it is for informational and educational purposes only and is not an official pension quotation. It does not account for all possible individual circumstances (like transfers in, divorce, or specific protections). Before making any financial decisions, you must contact your LGPS pension fund administrator for a formal retirement quotation.

Additional Pension Contributions (APCs) are a way to buy extra, guaranteed, inflation-proofed pension that is added to your main LGPS pension. Unlike an AVC pot which is an investment, an APC buys you a set amount of extra annual income for life.

You can choose to buy a specific amount of extra pension (up to a limit) and pay for it either with a lump sum or through regular deductions from your salary over a period of time.

Why choose APCs? It's a great option if you want certainty and a guaranteed outcome, as the extra pension you buy is protected against inflation just like your main scheme benefits.

The calculator signposts the official APC quote tool rather than estimating an individual purchase cost. To obtain an accurate cost for buying extra pension, use the official LGPS calculator or contact your pension fund.