Actuarial guidance
This page includes LGPS actuarial guidance issued by MHCLG, the government department responsible for the LGPS. MHCLG issues guidance under the LGPS Regulations 2013 and the LGPS (Transitional Provisions, Savings and Amendments) Regulations 2014. We have also included guidance issued under previous regulations that continued to have effect at any point after 31 March 2014.
Where a piece of guidance is labelled as a 'consolidated working copy', this document was provided for information in August 2015. It was not official guidance but a consolidation, prepared by GAD, of the original guidance (issued in March and April 2014) with amendments that were made after the original guidance was issued.
SCAPE discount rate change - May 2026
On 19 May 2026, the Minister for Pensions (Torsten Bell MP) made a written ministerial statement confirming that the SCAPE discount rate has been adjusted to take into account the long term GDP growth figures published by the OBR in July 2025. Based on these figures, the new SCAPE discount rate is CPI plus 2%. This is a change from CPI plus 1.7%.
The SCAPE discount rate is used to calculate actuarial factors in the LGPS. Following this change, the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) will review and update all actuarial factors. The updated factors will be issued in batches over a six-month period.
From 19 May 2026, some factors were suspended until updated ones were available. These included non-Club transfer factors and pensioner cash equivalent values (CEVs) factors. A transitional table was published at that time setting out which calculations must be suspended. All other factors continued until replaced.
On 9 June 2026, MHCLG wrote to administering authorities in a letter to confirm that the first batch of updated GAD factors has been issued. This includes non-Club transfer-out factors, pensioner CEV factors and pension credit factors.
On 13 July 2026, MHCLG wrote to administering authorities to confirm that the second batch of factors had been published. The July MHCLG cover letter confirms the implementation dates for the factors released in batch 2. Batch 2 includes factors for non-Club transfers in, early and late retirement, trivial commutation, inverse commutation, added pension and AVCs to added pension or transfer credits.
You can find the latest factors in the Draft Factor table 2026-02. We will publish a final version that includes implementation dates and update the rest of this page as soon as we receive it.
We have updated the transitional arrangements table (version 3.0) in response to the publication of the second batch of factors.
Query log
The LGPC Secretariat maintains a log of ongoing queries relating to actuarial guidance. We will update the new log as further queries are added and existing queries are resolved or amended. We ask administering authorities to review the log before raising any queries directly with us, as your query may relate to a known issue.
» Additional pension
Elections on or after 1 April 2014
Guidance on the amount of contributions to be paid by a member purchasing additional pension under the LGPS Regulations 2013, or by an employing authority purchasing additional pension for a member under the LGPS Regulations 2013.
Elections from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2014
Guidance on the purchase of additional pension for elections between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2014 under the LGPS (Benefits, Membership and Contributions) Regulations 2007.
Elections on or after 1 April 2008 and before 1 April 2012
Guidance on the purchase of additional pension for elections on or after 1 April 2008 and before 1 April 2012 under the LGPS (Benefits, Membership and Contributions) Regulations 2007.
» Additional survivor benefit contributions
Guidance on the purchase of additional survivor benefits for elections made prior to April 2014 under the LGPS (Benefits, Membership and Contributions) Regulations 2007.
» Annual allowance charges: calculation of Scheme Pays offset
Offset elections made on or after 1 April 2014
Guidance on the reduction of a member's pension rights following an election for an annual allowance charge to be met by the Scheme (election made on or after 1 April 2014.
Offset election made prior to 1 April 2014
Guidance on the reduction of a member's pension rights following an election for an annual allowance charge to be met by the Scheme (election made prior to 1 April 2014).
» AVCs - purchase of additional pension
AVC contracts entered into on or after 1 April 2014
Guidance on the use of accumulated AVCs to provide additional pension under the Scheme where AVCs commenced on or after 1 April 2014.
AVC contracts entered into prior to 1 April 2014
Guidance on the use of accumulated AVCs to provide additional pension under the Scheme where AVCs commenced prior to 1 April 2014.
» Conversion of lump sum into pension
Guidance on the conversion of lump sum into pension under regulation 58(1) of the LGPS Regulations 1997.
» Early retirement
Guidance on the reduction in benefits for members who retire before they have a right to take unreduced benefits, ie. on the voluntary early payment of pension.
» Flexible retirement
Guidance on flexible retirement and how any benefits under earlier regulations paid to a member on flexible retirement shall be taken into account in any subsequent calculation of his or her benefits.
» Gender pensions gap
Guidance on gender pensions gap reporting for the 2025 actuarial valuations.
Dated |
Operative date |
Document(s) |
Extant? |
2 February 2026 |
2 February 2026 |
Guidance |
Yes |
» Interfund transfers
Guidance on the transfer payment made from one fund to another when a member aggregates a past period of service with a current period.
In March 2015, DCLG issued a letter clarifying the relevant date to be used in interfund transfers.
» Late retirement
Guidance on late retirement increases to benefits payable after normal pension age.
» Lifetime allowance
Guidance on the calculation of the capital value of a member's LGPS benefits in order to compare the capital value against the member's lifetime allowance and to make adjustments where relevant.
» Lump sum commutation
Guidance on calculating the capital value of a member's accrued rights, for the purposes of determining the maximum lump sum the member may take at retirement.
» McCloud remedy
Guidance for applying the McCloud remedy to retrospective cases
» Pension credits
Debited member has been a member of the LGPS after 31 March 2014 and the transfer date is after 31 March 2014
Debited member left the LGPS before 1 April 2014 or the transfer date is before 1 April 2014
» Pension debits
Transfer date is on or after 1 April 2014
Guidance on the debit applied to a member's pension following a pension sharing order where the transfer date is on or after 1 April 2014.
Transfer date is before 1 April 2014
Guidance on the debit applied to a member's pension following a pension sharing order where the transfer date is prior to 1 April 2014.
» Pension sharing following divorce
» Probation service transfer
Guidance to determine the transfer share that applies when the administering authority changes in connection with probation service arrangements.
» Transfer credits - conversion of accumulated AVCs (regulation 66(8))
Guidance on the conversion of accumulated AVCs to transfer credits under regulation 66(8) of the LGPS Regulations 1997.
» Transfers - individual incoming and outgoing
For Club transfers, the public sector transfer Club memorandum and other associated documents can be found under Other Government documents.
Relevant date is on or after 1 April 2014
Guidance on the earned pension credited to a member's pension account where a transfer value has been accepted and in respect of transfers out of the LGPS.
Non-Club transfers where relevant date is prior to 1 April 2014
Guidance on individual incoming and outgoing non-Club transfers with relevant dates prior to 1 April 2014
» Trivial commutation
Guidance on the calculation of the amounts payable on the trivial commutation of a member's pension.
