Local Government Pensions Scheme in England and Wales - Scheme Improvements (Access and Protections)
Administration and regulation changes
16. Government recognises that creating the protections for category 1 is administratively complex. Administrators will need to go back to immediately before 4th November 2021 and confirm if at that time the member had an unqualified or prospective right to take any benefit before age 57. The government views this complexity as necessary to meet the overall policy intent to establish a protection regime.
17. In order to incorporate the proposed changes above the government proposes amending regulations 30(5), (6), (7) and (12) of the LGPS Regulations 2013, changing the references to age 55 to refer to Normal Minimum Pension Age, as defined by the Finance Act 2022.
18. The government also intends to amend relevant regulations to give effect to the protections of the Finance Act, including the protections for category 1 members above. This will include amending earlier regulations to confirm no changes to current policy for members who already have existing protections. The government intends to publish draft regulations later in the year, once we have received responses on the principles proposed in this consultation.