Going part time or reducing your hours does not affect the benefits that you have built up so far, as:

• the benefits you built up before 1 April 2014 are based on your final, full-time equivalent pensionable pay
• the benefits you built up after 31 March 2014 are based on your actual pensionable pay at the time you earned them

Going part time or reducing your hours will, however, affect the future benefits you build up at 1/49th from the date of the change, as they will be based on your (reduced) pensionable pay at the time you earn them.

For example, if your annual pensionable pay reduced from £20,000 to £15,000 as a result of going part time or reducing your hours, the extra, annual pension payable at your state pension age (GOV.UK opens in a new window) that you would build up in each future year in the main LGPS would fall from £408.16 (20,000 ÷ 49) to £306.12 (15,000÷ 49).