Abatement Policy

The LGPS Regulations require that each Pension Fund Administering Authority must formulate and keep under review a policy on pension abatement.

Pension abatement is the extent, if any, to which a Scheme member’s pension payment is reduced or suspended when the member re-enters a new employment under which they are again eligible for membership of the LGPS. 

Under the current LGPS Regulations 2013, effective from 1 April 2014, pension abatement has been removed. However, under former Regulations still in force, abatement can still be applied. Until 31 March 1998 abatement was mandatory but between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 2014 it became discretionary and an Administering Authority is still required to issue a statutory policy as to how it will apply the abatement rules.

When formulating an abatement policy, the Pension Regulations require that the Administering Authority has regard to:

• the level of potential financial gain at which it wishes abatement to apply
• the administrative costs which are likely to be incurred as a result of abatement in the different circumstances in which it may occur
• the extent to which a policy not to apply abatement could lead to a serious loss of confidence in the public service.

Since 2002, the Administering Authority has adopted a policy not to apply abatement for many reasons:

• The application of abatement is inconsistent as it only applies where an individual is appointed to a public service employment eligible for membership of the LGPS and does not apply if an individual becomes re-employed in employment eligible for any other public service pension scheme e.g. teachers or NHS employees
• Abatement places a potential limit on the amount of Local Government work an individual can undertake or that a Scheme employer may wish to offer because of the financial constraints abatement can place on an individual
• Abatement is incompatible with modern-day working practices e.g. the need to work longer, flexible retirement options, pension freedoms etc.
• Abatement places a barrier against the re-appointment of experienced individuals to Local Government roles thereby promoting the appointment of individuals as agency workers, contractors and consultants which is more costly for the Scheme employer
• The current policy not to apply abatement has the full support of Scheme employers
• Abatement is difficult and costly to administer

The attached policy statement re-affirms the administering authority’s decision not to apply abatement.