Transfers
Transferring Benefits
Whether you are joining us or moving to another pension provider you may be able to transfer your pension.
Transfers In
Transfers in to the Fund are only accepted from:
- Other Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS)
- Members of the Public Sector Transfer Club e.g. NHS Superannuation Scheme, Civil Service, Teachers pension schemes.
A full list of Club members is available on the Civil Service Pension Fund website.
We cannot accept transfers from personal or private pension schemes.
You have 12 months from joining the Fund to transfer in other pension benefits. To transfer in other pension benefits complete and return the PEN 1.3 Previous Pension form.
Transfers Out
You may wish to transfer your pension benefits to another pension scheme or provider, particularly if you are leaving the LGPS. It is not always an easy decision to make so you may wish to seek the help of an independent financial advisor.
If you do wish to transfer your pension, you should contact your new provider to see if they will accept the transfer. If they do, they will normally contact us directly to begin the process however you should follow their transfer procedure.
You cannot transfer out while you are still an active member of the pension scheme. As such if you do decide to transfer your pension you must opt out, or have left the Fund, before the transfer can be complete.
Got AVCs?
If you have AVCs, you will be required to take, or opt out of, Pension Wise guidance, before your AVCs can be transferred. Find out more here.
Before You Go
If you are looking to transfer your pension out, it is important that you have information about both your new provider and the LGPS and that you fully understand the benefits of each. There are benefits within this Pension Scheme that might not be available elsewhere such as:
- A guaranteed annual pension which is paid for life
- A pension which increases with the cost of living so as prices go up, so too does your pension
- Financial protection for loved ones should you pass
- A pension that doesn't rely on investments so when the economy isn't great, you don't need to worry about your pension going down.
