Auto and re-enrolment 

To help people save for their retirement the government requires all employers in the UK to automatically enrol their workers into a workplace pension if they meet certain requirements. This is known as automatic enrolment and already happens in the LGPS, with most new employees automatically joining the scheme when they commence employment.  

Under automatic enrolment if you are not already a member of the LGPS, you will automatically join the scheme at the point in the future that you: 

• have a contract of employment of three months or more
• earn over £10,000 a year, or in a pro rata pay period
• are age 22 or over
• are under State Pension age

If you are automatically enrolled, you can choose to leave the LGPS by opting-out at any time. You can also view the details of the different categories of worker and how they are impacted by automatic-enrolment further down on this page. 

Already a member

If you are already a member of the LGPS, automatic enrolment will not affect you as you are already a member of a qualifying pension scheme. However, you may be affected if you change jobs or take on another job in the future. 

Each employer will have its own date set for when it must comply with automatic enrolment. As a result, you need to contact your own employer in order to find out the actual date when it must comply with the automatic enrolment requirements. 

Why does auto-enrolment happen

An employer has to apply automatic enrolment of workers into a workplace pension arrangement from its 'staging date'. This is the date that has been allocated to them by the Pensions Regulator and is set according to the number of people it employs. As a result, not all LGPS employers will have the same 'staging date'. You will need to contact your own employer to find out when it must comply with automatic enrolment, if it hasn't already done so. 

The aim is to encourage people to save towards their retirement and have enough income to enjoy it. The full new State Pension is £221.20 a week. This is designed to be a foundation and is unlikely to be enough for most people when they retire. 

Will I be put back into the scheme even if I have previously opted out?

Assuming that you meet the criteria, then the answer would be yes. 

The law requires all employers to automatically re-enrol their workers into a workplace pension every three years if they meet certain requirements. 

All workers can join the pension scheme at any time if they want to. 

If you meet the criteria, you may be put back into the LGPS even if you have previously decided that being a member is not right for you. 

If you are automatically enrolled, you can choose to leave the LGPS by opting-out at any time. 

Can I join the LGPS if I am not automatically enrolled or re-enrolled?

Yes. If you would like to join the LGPS and you are under age 75, you can do so at any time, regardless of how much you earn or the length of your contract. Please contact your employer if you wish to join or re-join the LGPS. 

How auto-enrolment works based on your circumstances

In the following table you can find out about the different categories of worker and how you may be affected under the automatic-enrolment rules. Pay limits shown are as of April 2024, they are subject to change each April. If you are unsure of the pay limits, you should contact your employer.