Only some members are affected by McCloud. Affected members will have to meet a number of conditions, including building up benefits before 1 April 2012.
Use the tool on the LGPS website to find out if you are affected.
Who is affected by McCloud?
Are you affected?
What is McCloud?
About
McCloud remedy
When the Government changed public service pension schemes in 2014 and 2015, it introduced transitional protections for older members. Since then, the Court of Appeal ruled that some members had been unlawfully discriminated against because the transitional protections did not apply to them because of their age.
As a result of the ruling, changes have been made to public service pension schemes to remove the age discrimination. For protected LGPS members taking their pension, a comparison will be made for the remedy period between the career average pension built up and the pension that would have built up in the final salary scheme. The higher pension amount will be paid.
The McCloud information form
Complete the form
If you think you are affected by McCloud remedy, you can let us know by completing the McCloud Information Form .
Do I need to complete the form?
Who is eligible?
You only need to fill in the form if you were a member of a public service pension scheme before you joined the LGPS with Essex Pension Fund. Not everyone in this group will need to complete the form.
You do not need to complete the form if:
- The only public service pension scheme you have been a member of is the LGPS with Essex Pension Fund.
- You were a member of a public service pension scheme before you joined the LGPS with Essex Pension Fund, but that membership has been transferred to Essex Pension Fund.
- You first joined a public service pension scheme after 31 March 2012.
- You were a councillor member with Essex Pension Fund.
- You joined the LGPS with Essex Pension Fund after 31 March 2022.
- You joined the LGPS with Essex Pension Fund before 1 April 2012 and have not had a break in membership of over 5 years.
What happens next?
Next steps
We will use the information you provide to find out whether you are protected by the McCloud remedy. We may need to ask for more information from your previous pension scheme.
I am an active or deferred member
If you are protected, we aim to include an estimate of what this means for your pension in your next annual benefit statement. We will also take account of your protection in other figures we produce for you, such as retirement estimates.
I am a pensioner member
If you are protected, we will review your pension. If it increases, we will tell you in writing the new amount and any arrears and interest we are paying. Most pensions will not increase. This is because the pension that members built up in the career average scheme is more than they would have built up in the final salary scheme.
Pension transfers
Transferring
This is not the form to use to request a transfer of previous pension rights. If you joined Essex Pension Fund less than a year ago, you can request a pension transfer by completing a Transfer Request form.
Find out more about transferring in your pension in the Transfers into the Fund section.
Completing the form after a member has died
Members who have died
The McCloud remedy could affect payments made in respect of a member who has died. This includes member pension payments, death grant, survivor pension payments paid to a spouse, partner or children, or a past transfer value.
If you are completing the form on behalf of a member who has died, please complete parts 1 and 2 with the member’s details and include your details in part 3.
If you have any questions please email us at mccloud.project@essex.gov.uk.
If you have additional questions about McCloud
Any questions?
If you have any questions about McCloud, please email us at mccloud.project@essex.gov.uk.
For any other pension-related queries, please contact us.
