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Contact us

If you need to contact us you can do so by using email, online form(s), telephone, or by writing to us.

The Fund aims to provide an initial response to all queries within 10 working days.

Look online, first

Our website contains a large amount of useful information for members and can often provide answers faster than waiting for a formal reply.

​

Here are some links to areas of the website that may provide the answer to your query:

If you are a current member

If you are no longer paying in

If you are a pensioner

Online form

We have various online forms which, if you have a specific query, will direct them to the right team or person quicker than emailing or calling us.

Email

please ensure you include your person reference or national insurance number along with your date of birth in your correspondence.

 

If the Cheshire Pension Fund (the Fund) needs to send you an email, that contains personal or sensitive data, it is our policy to send it via Egress Switch.

 

Egress Switch is easy to set up and free to use. When you register with Egress to access the emails sent by the Fund you become a ‘free user’. Being a free user allows you to use Egress secure email for your own personal use (should you choose to), i.e., to create, send or receive emails not related to communication with the Fund. Where Egress state they may use your personal data for other purposes, the data they would use is purely the registration information, and we are satisfied that use by Egress of the information you provide is proportionate to the benefit of your personal data being encrypted in communications with the Fund.

 

If you choose to use the services of Egress outside of the communication with the Fund, you will be subject to the privacy notice and terms and conditions of Egress.

 

Accessing older emails

Once encrypted emails are 90 days old, an alternative method is needed to access the content.

  • save the attachment from the email you received to your computer

  • sign in on the Egress website

  • choose the option to upload a .switch file

  • locate the attachment you saved to your computer and open it

  • your encrypted email will be displayed
     

Egress Switch App on smart phones

You can download Egress Switch via an app for the majority of smart phones. Once you have registered, the app will ask for your permission to access your contacts and photographs on your phone. You can choose to accept or reject this request.

 

Need help using Egress?

  • If you leave the scheme and have been a member for less than the 2 year vesting period, you can choose to receive a refund of the contributions you have paid (net of the statutory deductions) provided that:

    • You do not start working for another Local Government employer within 1 month and 1 day of your leaving date.
       

    Please note the Cheshire Pension Fund will have to deduct tax and an amount equivalent to the National Insurance you would have paid (to repay on your behalf) if you had not been a member of the scheme.

    If you joined the scheme before 1 April 2014, left with less than the 2 years vesting period but have more than 3 months membership you can:

    • Take a refund of your pension contributions; as long as you meet the criteria above and have elected to receive the refund within 6 months of leaving

    • Have a deferred pension which increases in line with inflation until payment; or

    • Transfer your pension benefits to another scheme.
       

    The vesting period
     
    The vesting period refers to the period of time that you must be an active member of the LGPS before becoming entitled to benefits under the scheme.  The vesting period in the LGPS is 2 years, however, it can be met before 2 years in certain circumstances.  You will meet the 2 year vesting period if any of the following conditions apply:
     

    • You have been a member of the LGPS in England and Wales for 2 years

    • You transferred a pension into the LGPS from a different occupational pension scheme or from a European pensions institution and, the length of service you had in that scheme or institution was 2 or more years or, when added to the period of time you have been a member of the LGPS the period is in total more than 2 years

    • You have brought a transfer of pension rights into the LGPS in England or Wales from a pension scheme or arrangement where you were not allowed to receive a refund of contributions

    • You have previously transferred pension rights out of the LGPS in England or Wales to a pension scheme abroad i.e. to a qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme

    • You already hold a deferred benefit or are receiving a pension from the LGPS in England or Wales (other than a survivor’s pension or pension credit member’s pension)

    • You have paid National Insurance contributions whilst a member of the LGPS and you stop paying into the LGPS in the tax year of attaining pension age

    • You cease to contribute to the LGPS at age 75

    • You die in service

  • If you have been a member for more than 3 months your benefits can be transferred out of the Cheshire Pension Fund at any time after you leave providing that your new employer or pension provider is willing to accept the transfer value.

    ​

    You should check that your new pension provider will accept transfers and that you are within any time limits they may apply before you request a transfer out of the Cheshire Pension Fund.

    ​

    If you have less than two years membership at the date you leave and after one year you decide not to transfer your benefits, you will receive a refund of your contributions (plus interest).

    ​

    The Government announced in the 2014 Budget that reforms to workplace pensions would be made to offer greater flexibility in the way individuals aged 55 and over can access any Defined Contribution (DC) pension savings they may have.  These changes became effective on 6 April 2015.

    ​

    It’s important that as a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) you understand that you are a member of a public sector Defined Benefit (DB) scheme and therefore the flexibilities introduced under ‘Freedom and Choice’ do not impact on how you can take your Defined Benefits from the LGPS.

    ​

    There are however, some indirect changes which that will impact members of the LGPS who are considering transferring the value of their accrued LGPS Defined Benefit pension rights from the LGPS to a DC arrangement offering flexible benefits.

    ​

    The LGPS have produced Freedom and Choice questions and answers to help you understand the changes. 

  • Once you have 2 years of membership in the Scheme (or less if you have transferred previous pension rights in), your benefits will be deferred in the Cheshire Pension Fund until you reach your normal retirement age.  During the time your benefits are deferred in the Fund, they will be revalued in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year from the date you leave.

    ​

    If you joined the scheme before 1 April 2014 you may also choose to take a refund or transfer

    your benefits.  You can only take these additional options if:

     

    • You left the scheme after 1 April 2014

    • You have more than 3 months membership, but less than 2 years membership

  • For more information on opting out of the LGPS click here

Telephone

If you cannot find what you are looking for on our website, you can phone us on

01244 976000

Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays)

between 9:30 to 11:30am, and 2:30 to 4:30pm.

Please ensure you have your person reference or national insurance number to hand as we will need this to verify your identity, along with your date of birth and address.

  • If you leave the scheme and have been a member for less than the 2 year vesting period, you can choose to receive a refund of the contributions you have paid (net of the statutory deductions) provided that:

    • You do not start working for another Local Government employer within 1 month and 1 day of your leaving date.
       

    Please note the Cheshire Pension Fund will have to deduct tax and an amount equivalent to the National Insurance you would have paid (to repay on your behalf) if you had not been a member of the scheme.

    If you joined the scheme before 1 April 2014, left with less than the 2 years vesting period but have more than 3 months membership you can:

    • Take a refund of your pension contributions; as long as you meet the criteria above and have elected to receive the refund within 6 months of leaving

    • Have a deferred pension which increases in line with inflation until payment; or

    • Transfer your pension benefits to another scheme.
       

    The vesting period
     
    The vesting period refers to the period of time that you must be an active member of the LGPS before becoming entitled to benefits under the scheme.  The vesting period in the LGPS is 2 years, however, it can be met before 2 years in certain circumstances.  You will meet the 2 year vesting period if any of the following conditions apply:
     

    • You have been a member of the LGPS in England and Wales for 2 years

    • You transferred a pension into the LGPS from a different occupational pension scheme or from a European pensions institution and, the length of service you had in that scheme or institution was 2 or more years or, when added to the period of time you have been a member of the LGPS the period is in total more than 2 years

    • You have brought a transfer of pension rights into the LGPS in England or Wales from a pension scheme or arrangement where you were not allowed to receive a refund of contributions

    • You have previously transferred pension rights out of the LGPS in England or Wales to a pension scheme abroad i.e. to a qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme

    • You already hold a deferred benefit or are receiving a pension from the LGPS in England or Wales (other than a survivor’s pension or pension credit member’s pension)

    • You have paid National Insurance contributions whilst a member of the LGPS and you stop paying into the LGPS in the tax year of attaining pension age

    • You cease to contribute to the LGPS at age 75

    • You die in service

  • If you have been a member for more than 3 months your benefits can be transferred out of the Cheshire Pension Fund at any time after you leave providing that your new employer or pension provider is willing to accept the transfer value.

    ​

    You should check that your new pension provider will accept transfers and that you are within any time limits they may apply before you request a transfer out of the Cheshire Pension Fund.

    ​

    If you have less than two years membership at the date you leave and after one year you decide not to transfer your benefits, you will receive a refund of your contributions (plus interest).

    ​

    The Government announced in the 2014 Budget that reforms to workplace pensions would be made to offer greater flexibility in the way individuals aged 55 and over can access any Defined Contribution (DC) pension savings they may have.  These changes became effective on 6 April 2015.

    ​

    It’s important that as a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) you understand that you are a member of a public sector Defined Benefit (DB) scheme and therefore the flexibilities introduced under ‘Freedom and Choice’ do not impact on how you can take your Defined Benefits from the LGPS.

    ​

    There are however, some indirect changes which that will impact members of the LGPS who are considering transferring the value of their accrued LGPS Defined Benefit pension rights from the LGPS to a DC arrangement offering flexible benefits.

    ​

    The LGPS have produced Freedom and Choice questions and answers to help you understand the changes. 

  • Once you have 2 years of membership in the Scheme (or less if you have transferred previous pension rights in), your benefits will be deferred in the Cheshire Pension Fund until you reach your normal retirement age.  During the time your benefits are deferred in the Fund, they will be revalued in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year from the date you leave.

    ​

    If you joined the scheme before 1 April 2014 you may also choose to take a refund or transfer

    your benefits.  You can only take these additional options if:

     

    • You left the scheme after 1 April 2014

    • You have more than 3 months membership, but less than 2 years membership

  • For more information on opting out of the LGPS click here

Write to us

Cheshire Pension Fund

The Portal

Wellington Rd

Ellesmere Port

Cheshire

CH65 0BA

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