Reserve forces service leave

Reserve Forces Service Leave (LGPS)

Reserve pay equals or exceeds normal LGPS pay
If a scheme member is on reserve leave, pension contributions (and any additional contributions he/she may be paying to purchase added years in the LGPS) are payable if, and only if, during the period of leave their reserve forces pay is equal to or more than the pay he/she would have received if they had not been on leave. If this is the case, contributions would be due on the pensionable pay he/she would have received had they not been on reserve forces service leave and the service would count in full for pension purposes.

Reserve pay lower than normal LGPS pay
If, however, the reserve forces pay is less than the pay he/she would have received if they had not been on leave then no contributions (including any additional contributions he/she may be paying to purchase added years in the LGPS) are payable. The contributions are deemed to have been paid and the service counts in full for pension purposes.

Additional voluntary contributions (AVCs)
A person who is paying additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) continues to pay those AVCs unless he/she opts to stop paying them. It is important that any AVCs being paid to provide life assurance cover should continue to be paid in order that the additional death benefit cover continues in place.

Pension benefits which may be payable during Reserve Forces Leave
If, during the period of reserve forces service leave

the person attains normal retirement age
becomes incapable for health reasons of working efficiently in local
government employment, or
dies

he/she shall be treated as if he/she were in that local government employment at that time with the appropriate pension benefits being payable.

Employers contributions
The Reserve Forces (Call-out and Recall)(Financial Assistance) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/309) provide for the adjudication officer to include, within an award made to an employer in respect of a reservist who has been called-out, a sum in recompense for the employer's contribution into the LGPS.

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