New rules are set to govern how councillors can join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) following a decision by the Brent Pension Board.
From 11 May 2026, councillors will be able to opt into the LGPS. Their pensionable pay will include basic allowances, special responsibility allowances, and any salary. However, elected membership cannot be aggregated with non-elected LGPS membership.
Under the new regulations, early retirement benefits for councillors will be actuarially reduced. They will also not be able to leave the scheme on grounds of redundancy, business efficiency, or flexibly retire. Furthermore, councillors cannot be awarded additional service under Regulation 31.
Employers will not be able to contribute towards additional contributions contracts (APCs) or additional voluntary contributions (AVCs), with the exception of salary sacrifice shared cost AVCs.
John Smith, Pensions Manager for Brent Council, informed the board that these changes aim to improve engagement within the scheme. The decision was detailed in the Public reports pack for the Pension Board meeting on Tuesday 21 July 2026. Public reports pack Tuesday 21 July 2026 Pension Board
