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Author: James Heppe-Smith
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How to read your public sector pension Annual Benefit Statement (2026)
Your public sector pension Annual Benefit Statement lands by 31 August. Here is what each figure means, the difference between the pension you have built up and the pension you are projected to get, the…
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Pension inheritance tax from April 2027: an executor’s guide for public sector families
From 6 April 2027, unused pension pots fall into your estate for inheritance tax, and your executors must value them, report them and pay the bill. The reassuring part for public sector families: death-in-service lump…
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What does ‘LGPS’ on your payslip mean?
Spotted ‘LGPS’ or a pension deduction on your payslip? It’s your contribution to the Local Government Pension Scheme. What it is, why it’s there, how the 2026/27 rate is worked out, and what you get…
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The LGPS 85-year rule explained
The LGPS 85-year rule was removed in 2006 but still protects long-serving members. What it is, who keeps protection (it depends on your date of birth), and how it lets some pension be paid unreduced…
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What is a Collective Defined Contribution pension? A plain-English guide for workers
A plain-English guide to Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) pensions, the new TPR multi-employer code of practice laid 29 April 2026, the 31 July 2026 regulations commencement, and named early entrants TPT Retirement Solutions and LifeSight.
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The State Pension Age started rising to 67 on 6 May 2026: what it means for public sector pension members
The State Pension Age started rising from 66 to 67 on 6 May 2026 in monthly increments through to 6 March 2028. Here is the birthdate-by-birthdate timing, the interaction with the frozen personal allowance, and…
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Pension scams in 2026: how AI deepfakes are changing the threat to public sector pension members
Consumer-grade AI voice cloning has changed the pension fraud picture in 2026. TPR has reviewed 1,000+ suspicious sites with £500k stolen and £2.5m at risk. Public sector members are particularly exposed — here’s how the…
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The Pensions Commission says 15 million Britons are undersaving: why public sector members are largely outside the warning
The Pensions Commission’s 19 May 2026 interim report identified 15 million working-age Britons as undersaving for retirement. Here is what the report actually says, why members of the NHS, Teachers’, LGPS, Civil Service, Armed Forces,…
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NHS pension McCloud: 99% of retired members are still waiting for their recalculated pension
99% of retired NHS pensioners in the McCloud immediate-choice cohort — 300,062 of 303,225 members — are still waiting for the corrective recalculation that confirms their pension is correct. Here’s what to do while you…
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How to use the Pensions Ombudsman: a guide for public sector scheme members
The Pensions Ombudsman investigates pension complaints free of charge. From the Pension Schemes Act 2026, its decisions are directly enforceable. How the process works, what it can and cannot do, and how public sector scheme…