The Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2018

Retirement benefits S

29.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), a member who attains normal pension age is entitled to immediate payment of a retirement pension without reduction if the member is not an employee in local government service in employment from which the benefits arise.

(2) A member to whom paragraph (1) applies and who has concurrent employments may draw a pension in relation to an employment so long as the member is not an employee in local government service in relation to that employment.

(3) A member to whom paragraph (1) applies may elect to defer payment of a retirement pension to a date after that member's normal pension age up to the date when that member attains the age of 75.

(4) A member who is an employee in local government service on the day before attaining age 75 must have their retirement pension paid from age 75 even if the member remains in local government service beyond that age.

(5) A member who starts to receive payment of a retirement pension from a date after that member's normal pension age is entitled to enhancement of the pension by the amount shown as appropriate in actuarial guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers.

(6) A member who has not attained normal pension age but who has attained the age of 55 or over, may elect to receive immediate payment of a retirement pension in relation to an employment if that member is not an employee in local government service in that employment, but the amount of the retirement pension must be reduced by the amount shown as appropriate in actuarial guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers.

(7) An active member who has attained the age of 55 or over who reduces working hours or grade of an employment may, with the scheme employer's consent, elect to receive immediate payment of all or part of the retirement pension to which that member would be entitled in respect of that employment if that member were not an employee in local government service on the date of the reduction in hours or grade, adjusted by the amount shown as appropriate in actuarial guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers.

(8) Where an active member who has attained the age of 55 or over is dismissed from an employment by reason of redundancy or business efficiency, or whose employment is terminated by mutual consent on grounds of business efficiency, that member is entitled to, and must take immediate payment of—

(a) retirement pension relating to that employment payable under regulation 16 (additional pension contributions), adjusted by the amount shown as appropriate in actuarial guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers; and

(b) any other retirement pension relating to that active membership payable under these Regulations, without reduction.

(9) A Scheme employer, former employer which is a Scheme employer, or, where a member's employer or former employer has ceased to be a Scheme employer, the appropriate administering authority, may agree to waive in whole or in part any reduction that would, apart from this paragraph, be required by paragraph (6) or (7).

(10) In paragraphs (1) to (8) of this regulation the expression “member” means a member with qualifying service for a period of 2 years and does not include a pension credit member.

(11) Subject to paragraph (12), a pension credit member who attains normal pension age or who is, at the effective date of the pension sharing order, already at or over normal pension age is entitled to, and must take, immediate payment of a retirement pension deriving from the pension credit, without reduction, irrespective of whether that pension credit member is also an employee in local government service.

(12) A pension credit member may, before reaching normal pension age, elect to defer payment of a retirement pension deriving from a pension credit to a date after that member's normal pension age and, if the member does so, is entitled to immediate payment of a retirement pension from any date up to the date when that member attains the age of 75, enhanced by the amount shown as appropriate in actuarial guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers, irrespective of whether the pension credit member is also an employee in local government service.

(13) A pension credit member who has attained the age of 55 or over may elect to receive immediate payment of a retirement pension deriving from the pension credit, reduced by the amount shown as appropriate in actuarial guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers, irrespective of whether the pension credit member is also an employee in local government service.

[F1 (14) A deferred member who has attained the age of 55 or over may elect to receive immediate payment of a retirement pension, reduced by the amount shown as appropriate in actuarial guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers, irrespective of whether the deferred pension member is also an employee in local government service.]

[F2 (15) The references to an enhancement in paragraph (5), a reduction in paragraph (6) and an adjustment in paragraph (7) do not apply to any final guarantee amount that has been added to the pension account under regulation 4B or 4C of the Transitional Provisions and Savings Regulations 2014.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Reg. 29(14) inserted (with effect from 1.6.2018) by The Local Government Pension Scheme (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2019 (S.S.I. 2019/161), regs. 1(2), 2(16)

F2 Reg. 29(15) inserted (1.10.2023) by The Local Government Pension Scheme (Remediable Service) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 (S.S.I. 2023/240), regs. 1(2), 3(2)