The Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 1997

Rights to return of contributions

87.—(1) If a member with less than 2 years’ total membership—

(a) ceases to be employed by a Scheme employer or to be an active member without becoming entitled to a retirement pension, or

(b) ceases to be an active member by reason of a notification under regulation 8(2),

he is entitled to be repaid his contributions from the appropriate fund and, if repayment has not been made before the expiry of the period of one year beginning with the date when active membership ceases, is entitled to interest from that expiry.

(2) But a person is not entitled to interest on his contributions if he ceased to be a member on leaving his employment by reason of his resignation or dismissal because of inefficiency, an offence of a fraudulent character or misconduct.

(3) A person who is entitled to a repayment of contributions under paragraph (1) may waive his entitlement for any period and, if he becomes an active member again before the expiry of that period, he shall cease to be so entitled (but without prejudice to any entitlement arising later under that paragraph in respect of those contributions).

(4) A person who continues as an active member in another employment he held concurrently with the employment in which he has ceased to be an active member may elect for an amount equal to the repayment to be treated as contributions to the Scheme as respects his membership in that concurrent employment, entitling him to such period of membership as is appropriate in accordance with guidance issued by the Government Actuary.

(5) A person who elects under paragraph (4) ceases to be entitled to that repayment (but without prejudice to any entitlement arising later in respect of the concurrent employment).

(6) The administering authority must deduct from any repayment under this regulation any tax to which they may become chargeable under section 598 of the Taxes Act (charge to tax on repayment of employee’s contributions).

(7) The contributions which must be repaid under paragraph (1) are any contributions or payments paid by the member to any pension fund under Part II or Chapter III of Part III or by way of additional contributory payments or added period payments, or paid under any of the relevant old provisions (unless already returned and not repaid), which are attributable to a period of membership which might have counted under these Regulations in relation to the employment in which he has ceased to be a member, but not to any earlier period of membership in respect of which a benefit or transfer value has been paid.

(8) The relevant old provisions are regulations C4, C5, C6, C7, C13 and C14 of the 1995 regulations and regulations C2, C3, C3A, C4, C6A, C7, C7A, C8 and C8A of the 1986 regulations.

(9) Added period payments are payments made for the purposes of regulation C9 of the 1995 regulations, regulation C5 or C6 of the 1986 regulations, regulation D10 of the 1974 regulations, or section 2(1) of the Act of 1953 or any similar provision contained in a local Act scheme.

(10) “Additional contributory payments” has the meaning given in Schedule A1 to the 1995 regulations.