Background to employer types

Types of Employers

The eligibility requirements to become an employer in the LGPS is set out in schedule 2 of the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013.

Scheduled bodies (LGPS Regulations 2013, Schedule 2, Part 1)

This category of employer is listed under Part 1 of Schedule 2 and includes county councils, district councils and London Borough councils.

These employers must automatically join their employees into the LGPS upon appointment (unless the employment contract is under 3 months) although an employee may then opt out.

Designated bodies (LGPS Regulations 2013, Schedule 2, Part 2)

These employers are listed under Part 2 of Schedule 2 and include bodies under the control of scheduled bodies, or employers such as Transport for London.

Employers may designate which employees may participate in the LGPS and those employees must automatically join the LGPS upon appointment (unless the employment contract is under 3 months), although an employee may then opt out.

Admission bodies (LGPS Regulations 2013, Schedule 2, Part 3)

These are employers with whom an administering authority has made an admission agreement.
There are two types of admission bodies:

  • Those bodies providing services as a result of a transfer of services (LGPS Regulations 2013, Schedule 2, Part 3 1 (d)) or
  • Those not for profit bodies providing a public service. These were formally known as transferee admission bodies and community admission bodies respectively.

Employers may designate within the admission agreement which employees may participate in the LGPS and those employees must automatically join the LGPS upon appointment (unless the employment contract is under 3 months), although an employee may then opt out.

In the case of a transferee admission body, a member may only participate if employed in connection with the service transferred and the employer is required to offer membership of the LGPS to certain employees.

Deemed employers (LGPS Regulations 2013, Schedule 2, Part 4)

These are generally employers where another organisation is deemed to be the employer.

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