Elect to receive benefits

Your deferred benefits are normally payable at your Normal Pension Age (NPA) in the LGPS. Your NPA is linked to your State Pension Age (but with a minimum of age 65). They can be paid earlier, or later than your Normal Pension Age. There are two ways they can be paid earlier and these are:

• early payment of deferred benefits at your request, or
• early payment of deferred benefits due to permanent ill-health

You can choose to take early payment of your deferred benefits from age 55, see applying to access your benefits.

You do not need your former employer's consent to draw your pension before your NPA.

If you choose to draw your benefits before your NPA they will normally be reduced to take account of their early payment and the fact that your pension will be paid for longer. How much your deferred benefits are reduced by depends on how early you draw them. You can find an overview of the reductions which will apply to your pension on the LGPS Reduction Table.

Employer discretion on waiving reductions

It may be possible for your former employer to waive any reductions that may apply to your benefits, see Employer discretion on early payment or waiving reductions.

Ill health

You can apply for payment of your deferred benefits at any age, without reduction if, because of your health, you would be permanently incapable of the job you were working in when you left the LGPS and you are unlikely to be capable of undertaking any gainful employment within three years of applying for the benefit or by your Normal Pension Age, whichever is the earlier.

If you have 'opted out' of the LGPS, then the date when you can receive your deferred benefits is more complex. Please contact us if you need more information on this.

For more information, see Leaving your job before retirement after 31 March 2014 .