Absence and pensions contributions
There are all kinds of reasons why you may be absent from work. Special rules apply to protect your LGPS pension if you are on sick leave, child-related leave, or reserve forces leave. How this may affect your pension is explored below.
Your pension will continue to build up as normal in a short period of authorised unpaid leave. You may be able to pay extra to make up for pension ‘lost’ during other types of unpaid absence. Visit our 'Can I pay more?' webpage for more information.
Strike action
You won’t pay pension contributions whilst you’re away from work due to strike action. However, you can choose to pay Additional Pension Contributions (APCs) to purchase the amount of pension lost.
The LGPS online calculator can work out what the cost will be. To use the calculator, first you'll need to contact your employer to find out the amount of pay lost due to strike action.
You can pay APCs to cover a period of lost pension through strike action at any time whilst you're an active member of the LGPS.
Sickness absence
Reserve Forces leave
If you are on Reserve Forces Leave and elect to remain in the LGPS, your pension will be worked out using your Assumed Pensionable Pay. This ensures that you continue to build up pension as if you were at work receiving your normal pay.
Your employer needs to tell you the amount of basic pension contributions you and the Ministry of Defence must pay, any additional contributions you are paying and the amount of Assumed Pensionable Pay those contributions must be collected on. You should pass the information to the Ministry of Defence who will then deduct the pension contributions and pay them to your LGPS pension fund.
Pension contributions will not be deducted from any pay you receive from your LGPS employer during this period.
Authorised unpaid leave
Authorised unpaid leave – less than 15 days
From 1 April 2026, if your employer allows you to take unpaid leave that lasts less than 15 days, your pension will continue to build up in this period. You and your employer both pay the pension contributions that would have been paid if you were at work receiving your normal pay.
This will apply if you are unpaid when you are absent from work because of jury service.
Authorised unpaid leave – 15 days or more
From 1 April 2026, if your employer allows you to take unpaid leave that lasts for 15 days or more, the break will not automatically count for pension purposes. This also applies if you were absent from work and unpaid for more than 15 days for jury service. You can choose to pay extra contributions to buy the pension you ‘lost’ in the unpaid period.
If you elect to pay these extra contributions within a year of returning to work, the cost is split between you and your employer. The contributions can be paid by lump sum or regular deductions from your pay. If you take an unpaid break, your employer will be able to tell you the cost and your payment options.
An arrangement to buy pension ‘lost’ in a period of unpaid leave that started 1 April 2026 or later is known as a Qualifying Additional Pension Arrangement (QAPA).
Authorised unpaid leave – old rules
The rules that applied before 1 April 2026 still apply if you took an authorised unpaid break that started before that date. Under those rules, the period does not count for pension purposes unless you elect to pay Additional Pension Contributions (APCs) to buy the pension you ‘lost’ during the absence.
If you make an election to pay Additional Pension Contributions to purchase ‘lost’ pension within 30 days of returning to work, the cost will be split between you and your employer. Your employer can agree to contribute if you make your election after more than 30 days.
Unauthorised unpaid leave
During any periods of unauthorised unpaid leave you stop paying pension contributions, so you don’t build up any pension, and there is no option to buy back the lost pension.
