Superannuation pots

DJBigAndy

I have had a number of different jobs working for either government departments or local councils, in each of them I have paid into the superannuation scheme. How can I find out if that money has been combined and if it hasn't, how do I go about getting it combined into one lot of money?

Silvertabby

Are you currently working in the public sector, and did you start that job in the last 12 months?

If the answer is no, then you won't be able to combine them in one record.

They won't have been automatically combined each time you changed jobs - you would have had to request that.  

xylophone

I have had a number of different jobs working for either government departments or local councils, in each of them I have paid into the superannuation scheme. How can I find out if that money has been combined and if it hasn't, how do I go about getting it combined into one lot of money?

You are no longer a member of a public service scheme?

You have a number of deferred LGPS/CS pensions?

You have no access to the on line portal for each pension?

https://www.lgpsmember.org/2023/09/06/check-your-annual-statement-2/#:~:text=Your pension fund will most,fund to find out why.

https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/retired-left-or-leaving/ive-left-and-have-an-unclaimed-pension-deferred/

I doubt schemes would combine periods of service unless at your request.

Have you obtained a state pension forecast (assuming you are under SPA)?

https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Marcon

DJBigAndy said:

I have had a number of different jobs working for either government departments or local councils, in each of them I have paid into the superannuation scheme. How can I find out if that money has been combined and if it hasn't, how do I go about getting it combined into one lot of money?

It sounds as if you have been in various defined benefit schemes, so be aware that these don't 'combine' in the same way as defined contributions schemes. In both cases you'd need to request transferring funds from previous scheme(s) - it won't happen automatically - but the way the transfers are handled differs considerably. 

Silvertabby said:

Are you currently working in the public sector, and did you start that job in the last 12 months?

Even if the answer is 'yes', it may not be in your interests to combine them.

xylophone

Even if the answer is 'yes', it may not be in your interests to combine them.

Indeed - Silvertabby has often highlighted this fact in connection with LGPS - in other schemes too, combination may have

 effects such as  increasing normal scheme pension age or changing the basis on which the pension is calculated.

QrizB

DJBigAndy said:

I have had a number of different jobs working for either government departments or local councils, in each of them I have paid into the superannuation scheme.

As well as the other questions, did you spend at least two years in each of these jobs?