Combine LGPS deferred benefits into current pension account or keep separate?

NickBFS

My partner has had several distinct periods of employment with different LGPS-affiliated employers and has to make a decision as to whether to keep the older deferred benefits separate or merge them into the current one.

The estimates that he has been given for the value of the deferred benefits if combined and their current value if not combined are as follows:
Option  1 (combined)
Pension: 10948.72
lump sum: 0
Partner's pension: 3694.42

Option 2 (keep deferred benefit separate):
Pension: GBP 11706.82
lump sum: 0
Partner's pension: 3978.72

The deferred period was roughly 2008 to 2019 with one year interruption in these, so approx 6 years under final salary (2008 to 2014) and  5 years CARE. 
He started with his current employer (the current LGPS pension) in 2021. 
I am struck at how little difference there is between the two options (just approx 750 GBP/annum). I would have expected greater difference, given that his salary has increased substantially with his current employer (although I have not looked at the precise amounts). I would therefore have expected option 1 to be more favourable than option 2, whereas this is not the case (and in fact option 2 seems better).

Do these figures suggest that salary increases have in fact been more or less aligned with inflation and no more?
If he does not expect any significant salary uplift (other than normal annual increase but no promotion up the work ladder) before retirement, does this suggest that he would be likely to be better off going for option 2 and keep the deferred benefits separate?

He is approaching 59 and is likely to want to retire in the next few years.

Lemon_dr1zzle

Salary increase would need to have been quite large to better the pension increase amounts over the last few years, this years was 6.7% and last years was 10.1%. 

Another thing to think about is redundancy. If your partner is made redundant and the pensions are put together then the whole lot is paid unreduced. If kept separate only the newly accrued pension is paid out. 

Kernowshep

Others will be able to confirm but also consider the following:
- If retiring before SPA then it might be better to keep it separate and take the pension in two (or more) parts, the older part(s) will be able to be taken with less reduction when taken early, the new part could get left to be taken later so reduced by less. It partly depends how much you need straight away upon retirement.
- Salary increases in local government have been about half of inflation for about 15 years, and I doubt it'll change much any time soon. E.g. "While a wage keeping pace with the cost of living each year would have risen by 59.4% since 2010, NJC pay has risen by just 27% which means that thousands of pounds have been cut out of the value of staff wages." https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/workforce - NJC Pay Claim 2024-25.pdf
- If adding to an AVC to get more tax free lump sum benefit (especially if done via salary sacrifice) - how much you think you could or would want to add, might make a difference in your choice.