The contributions to the SHPS DC scheme are split between you and Amplius. The maximum Amplius contribution is currently 10% of salary.

Yes. You can make Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) to boost your retirement savings.

• AVCs don’t receive extra contributions from Amplius.
• You benefit from tax relief on these contributions, and potentially National Insurance savings if you pay via salary sacrifice.
• There are annual limits on tax-efficient contributions (the Annual Allowance). For further guidance, click here.

SHPS DC members have flexibility in how they take their pension benefits.

• You don’t have to purchase an annuity (a pension for life usually bought from an insurance company).
• You could take all your pension savings in one lump sum from age 55 (subject to tax rules), or draw down your savings over time, keeping full flexibility.
• Up to 25% of your payments may be tax-free.

To access this flexibility, you may need to transfer your savings account to another provider at retirement.

If you are aged 50 or over with a DC pension, you can contact Pension Wise - a free and impartial government service that helps you understand your retirement options.

Book a free appointment by clicking here.

• The default age is currently 65.
• You can take benefits from age 55, though this will increase to age 57 from April 2028.
• You can change your default retirement age by contacting the scheme.

Charges are taken from your retirement account as a percentage of funds under management each year.

• If you use the default fund, the charge is currently 0.51%–0.53% per year.
• If you choose other funds, some may have higher charges.

There are three main ways to take your DC benefits:

1. Taxed lump sum
2. Flexible income drawdown - take your savings over time, choosing the amounts and timing
3. Annuity - a pension for life (normally bought from an insurance company)

With each option, you can take up to 25% of your fund as a one-off tax-free lump sum. More information can be found here - Money Helper – Using a Defined Contribution pension pot

• Colleagues in the SHPS DB Scheme currently have a lump sum of 3x salary on death in service.
• Colleagues in SHPS DC are automatically covered for the same 3x salary lump sum.
• Any remaining money in your DC savings account at the time of death is paid to your dependants.

Other death-in-service benefits differ between the SHPS DB Scheme and SHPS DC. For details of SHPS DB Scheme benefits, see: SHPS DB website

Note: Death in service benefits are payable if you die whilst still employed by Amplius and may depend on whether you’re contributing to the pension scheme.

Yes, every three years the contribution rates are assessed. The employer agrees how to split the contributions rate with employees. The next contribution rate change would be from 1 April 2028.

There are no management fees in the LGPS and SHPS DB, so this would not affect the value of your pension.

Yes, SHPS is a multi-employer scheme (like LGPS) and a defined benefit scheme (like LGPS).

The funding level of the scheme is monitored with a formal valuation every three years (like LGPS).

Yes, in the future, Amplius could carry out another formal consultation to propose changes to pension provision, including the potential closure of the SHPS DB CARE scheme and a move to an alternative arrangement such as SHPS DC. Any such change would be subject to the appropriate consultation process.

That said, there are currently no plans to do this. The proposal being consulted on now reflects Amplius’ current intentions and approach to pension provision.

If anything were to change in the future, colleagues would be fully consulted and given clear information before any decisions were made.

If there is no collective agreement, SHPS DB will not be offered.

If the original proposal then goes ahead, members will join SHPS DC.

If you don't wish to join SHPS DC, you can opt out at this point. Amplius would not pay pension contributions into another pension arrangement, so you would be missing out on contributions by opting out. However, the consultation is still ongoing and no decision has been made by Amplius.

Collective agreement is required from all LGPS members.

If you do not wish to join SHPS DB, you will not be able to stay in the LGPS. You could join SHPS DC, however this is a defined contribution arrangement, not a defined benefit arrangement.

SHPS DB will only be offered if all LGPS members give collective agreement to the proposal to open SHPS DB. Colleagues can choose to join SHPS DC, if they'd prefer.

In a career average (CARE) scheme like SHPS, pension is built up year by year rather than based on an overall average salary.

Each year, you earn a slice of pension based on your actual pensionable earnings for that year. This means periods of part-time and full-time work are treated fairly. Part-time years build pension on part-time pay, and full-time years on full-time pay. Those yearly pension amounts are then revalued each year (in line with scheme rules) to maintain their value over time.

In the SHPS CARE scheme, the career average calculation starts from the point you join the CARE section of the scheme (i.e., from inception into CARE), not before. Earnings prior to joining CARE would only be included if there was a formal transfer of benefits into the CARE section.

Yes, you can transfer SHPS DB Scheme benefits to another pension provider.

• If the transfer value is over £30,000, you’ll need to obtain financial advice before the transfer can proceed.
• Transferring a Defined Benefit (DB) pension, like the SHPS DB Scheme, may not always be in your best interest, as you could give up guaranteed benefits or other protections.

Legislation generally requires you to seek independent financial advice before transferring DB benefits.

Yes. You can make Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) to SHPS DC, or into a personal pension of your choice, to boost your retirement savings.

You can apply for a State Pension forecast at www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

• Neither Amplius nor its advisers can provide independent financial advice.
• No information on this site or any other information provided by Amplius should be taken as financial advice.
• If required, you should seek advice from an authorised, regulated independent financial adviser. You can find advisers here: Money Helper – Find a Retirement Adviser
• Please note that financial advisers usually charge a fee. Amplius will not pay for independent financial advice.

• You automatically receive full Income Tax relief on your contributions at your highest tax rate.
• This tax relief is unchanged by the proposed move from the SHPS DB Scheme to SHPS DC.
• If you contribute via salary sacrifice in SHPS DC, you can also reduce National Insurance contributions.
• There are limits on how much you can save tax-efficiently in a pension each year.

• To arrange a transfer, contact SHPS and your previous pension provider. They’ll guide you through the process.
• Transferring benefits from another DB scheme may not always be in your best interest, particularly if it involves giving up guaranteed benefits.
• Consider charges, potential penalties, and investment growth before deciding.
• Amplius and its advisers cannot advise on whether to transfer. If in doubt, speak to an Independent Financial Adviser.

No. Amplius will only contribute to a workplace pension scheme sponsored by Amplius, which, if the proposals go ahead, would be SHPS DC.

It isn’t practical for Amplius to manage contributions to multiple individual schemes, as this would create significant additional work.

As we’ve previously communicated, current Aviva members have the option to remain in that scheme, however it isn’t open to new members.

Yes, you can bring along your partner to this session.

It’s important to emphasise that the proposed move from the DB pension scheme to a DC scheme is just that, a proposal. No decision has been made about the outcome of the consultation. The proposal is intended to promote equity and fairness across the workforce rather than disadvantage or penalise long-serving colleagues. Several changes introduced through the recent Terms, Conditions and Colleague Benefits consultation and the new Employment Offer are specifically designed to recognise and reward long service. These include enhanced occupational sick pay and annual leave provisions for longer-serving colleagues, as well as the introduction of a significantly improved Long Service Award scheme, which will take effect from April 2026.

The proposal is driven by genuine organisational reasons and is part of Amplius’ wider Employer of Choice people strategy - a programme focused on modernising employment practices, ensuring fairness and consistency across all colleagues, and maintaining competitiveness in recruitment and retention. Specifically, the changes are necessary to:

Align terms and conditions consistently across the organisation;

Simplify administration and improve efficiency in managing employment arrangements;

Ensure that Amplius’ pension frameworks remain fair, sustainable, and aligned with how the company operates today; and

Support fair and manageable benefits for all colleagues in a way that is sustainable for the business long-term.

All accrued DB benefits remain fully protected under the proposals, and only future accrual is proposed to be under the DC arrangement. Amplius has carefully considered the impact on affected colleagues, and the consultation process provides an opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns, and fully understand the proposals before any final decisions are made.

The intention of the proposed change is to create a modern, equitable, and sustainable approach to pensions that supports Amplius’ ability to continue providing fair benefits for current and future colleagues. While change can be challenging, this approach ensures that Amplius can continue to operate effectively and maintain its overall competitiveness and fairness across the workforce.

An EIA will be completed in the coming weeks and, once finalised, it will be uploaded to the Pensions FAQs microsite here.

This will provide colleagues with the opportunity to review the assessment and provide input or feedback as part of the ongoing consultation process. We encourage all affected colleagues to engage with this and share any observations or concerns once it is available.

It was confirmed during the announcement meeting that Amplius would not be disclosing its own legal advice in respect of this matter. That advice is legally privileged.

It was confirmed during the announcement meeting that Amplius would not be disclosing its own legal advice in respect of this matter. That advice is legally privileged.

The proposal is driven by genuine organisational reasons and is part of Amplius’ wider Employer of Choice people strategy - a programme focused on modernising employment practices, ensuring fairness and consistency across all colleagues, and maintaining competitiveness in recruitment and retention. Specifically, the changes are necessary to:

Align terms and conditions consistently across the organisation;

Simplify administration and improve efficiency in managing employment arrangements;

Ensure that Amplius’ pension frameworks remain fair, sustainable, and aligned with how the company operates today; and

Support fair and manageable benefits for all colleagues in a way that is sustainable for the business long-term.

The intention of the proposed change is to create a modern, equitable, and sustainable approach to pensions that supports Amplius’ ability to continue providing fair benefits for current and future colleagues. While change can be challenging, this approach ensures that Amplius can continue to operate effectively and maintain its overall competitiveness and fairness across the workforce.

In relation to your query regarding the Best Value Authorities Staff Transfers (Pensions) Direction 2007 and the Fair Deal Guidance. To clarify, while the Pensions Direction provides certain pension protections for employees transferring from a local authority to a service provider under a contract for services arrangement, it does not extend to all types of transfers. A contract for services scenario typically occurs when a local authority outsources services to an external provider and, at the end of that contract, the authority may either retender the service or bring it back in-house. The Pensions Direction was not designed to address transfers of housing stock where local authority employees are transferred as part of a Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) arrangement.

Similarly, the Fair Deal Guidance (“Staff transfers from Central Government: A Fair Deal for Staff Pensions”) was drafted to guide pension arrangements when colleagues are transferred from central government departments to new employers under public-private partnership contracts. The circumstances of a housing stock transfer via an LSVT do not fall within this scenario, as these transfers were not procurement exercises and there is no expectation that colleagues would transfer back to the original local authority.

In short, the intent and scope of both the Pensions Direction and Fair Deal Guidance were never designed to apply to transfers of housing stock under an LSVT. While these frameworks provide protections in their respective contexts, they do not govern the historic transfer of housing colleagues under arrangements such as those undertaken by Amplius.

We fully understand that the proposals may be complex and that colleagues want to ensure they fully understand the implications.

Amplius is not able to cover the cost of legal advice for individual or collective colleagues. Providing such support could create a conflict of interest, as the company would effectively be funding advice for parties whose interests may differ from those of the organisation.

That said, we're committed to supporting colleagues through the consultation process and ensuring you have the information needed to make informed decisions. This includes:

Access to detailed information sessions, including opportunities to ask questions directly;

One-to-one financial education discussions with CFED to clarify individual circumstances; and

Clear written guidance and FAQs to help colleagues understand the proposals and the protections in place.

We encourage colleagues to make use of these resources and, if desired, to seek independent advice at their own discretion.

Full details, including organisational and individual contributions, are available on this Pension FAQs microsite and the Colleague Benefits microsite.

In summary:

The employer contributions for both the SHPS DC scheme and the Aviva DC scheme will be identical from 1 April 2026, up to a maximum employer contribution of 10% of salary.

Colleague contributions are flexible, with a minimum of 3%.

These new contribution arrangements are scheduled to be implemented from 1 April 2026.

For a SHPS Defined Contribution plan, you can generally nominate anyone to be your beneficiary. Full details relating to beneficiaries can be found in this article.

We have undertaken benchmarking across the housing and not-for-profit sectors as part of both this proposal and as part of the preceding terms and conditions review. This included reviewing not only current pension arrangements for new employees but also legacy arrangements that remain in place for longer-serving colleagues at comparable organisations. A significant number of housing providers have already closed their Defined Benefit (DB) schemes or are in the process of doing so. Examples include Aster Group, Clarion Housing Group, Flagship Group, Guinness Partnership, Havebury Housing Partnership, and Lincolnshire Housing Partnership.

This wider sector shift reflects the significant and ongoing challenges associated with maintaining DB schemes, as well as the need for organisations to create fair, sustainable and modern reward frameworks for all colleagues.

We understand the concerns about differences in other benefits, such as annual leave and private medical insurance (PMI). The varying leave allowances for colleagues and the PMI offer for tiers 1-2 are based on independent benchmarking against similar roles in the wider sector. This ensures that our benefits offer remain competitive while recognising the differing levels of responsibility and accountability associated with senior roles.

It’s important to note that whilst some of our benefits differ slightly across organisational tiers (in line with benchmarking for those roles and to maintain market competitiveness) there remains fairness and consistency in our overall offer. All colleagues, regardless of tier, have access to the same enhanced annual leave entitlements based on length of service, with some tiers having higher starting points to help attract and retain talent in senior roles. Similarly, there is consistency in our approach to PMI, as all job roles within the eligible tiers (tiers 1 and 2) have access to this benefit.

By contrast, the current LGPS and SHPS DB arrangements do not provide this same level of consistency or fairness for all longer serving colleagues, as they apply only to certain groups of colleagues based on legacy arrangements rather than applying to all colleagues in certain roles or those with equivalent/greater service lengths.

The proposed move to a single Defined Contribution (DC) scheme aims to address this inconsistency by ensuring that all colleagues are supported by a fair, modern, and sustainable pension offer that aligns with the way Amplius operates now and into the future, with the intention of ensuring fairness, sustainability and long-term consistency in the benefits framework for all colleagues. It’s important to emphasise that the proposed move from the DB pension scheme to a DC scheme is just that, a proposal. No decision has been made about the outcome of the consultation. We appreciate that these changes may affect individuals differently, particularly some of our long-serving colleagues, and your feedback will be fully considered as part of the consultation process before any decisions are made.

Under the current LGPS rules, members aged 55 or over who are made redundant or leave on the grounds of efficiency are entitled to receive their LGPS benefits immediately and without early retirement reductions, provided they are an active member at the point of redundancy.

If the proposal to close future LGPS accrual proceeds, affected colleagues would become deferred members of the LGPS. Deferred members are not eligible for the same redundancy protections, and any future redundancy after the effective date would not trigger immediate unreduced pension benefits under LGPS rules.

This point has been noted and added to the Equality Impact Assessment for transparency, including the mitigation already planned, namely, that all current restructure or redundancy activity will be completed prior to the proposed effective date to minimise this risk.

If the proposals were to go ahead, all colleagues would be moved across to the SHPS DC scheme from April.

You can, at any point, decide that the SHPS DC scheme is better for your personal circumstances and choose to opt out of the LGPS and move to the DC scheme voluntarily, regardless of the outcome of the consultation.

If you take this option, your LGPS benefits would be secured and retained up to the date you leave that scheme.

In relation to the recent Budget announcements surrounding salary sacrifice, the Government has not yet published the full details on how the changes will operate. Based on the current information available, and our interpretation of this, we understand that from April 2029 only the first £2,000 of employee pension contributions made via salary sacrifice each year will be exempt from National Insurance contributions (NICs).

Employees and employers will still be able to make contributions above £2,000 via salary sacrifice; however, any employee contributions above this threshold will attract both employer and employee NICs, in line with standard workplace pension arrangements. As we don’t yet have full details, and because colleagues’ contribution levels vary, it is difficult to set out the exact impact within the FAQs, as this will depend on individual circumstances. Based on current salaries and contribution levels, we expect around 60% of colleagues to be unaffected, although salary increases between now and 2029 may mean more colleagues are brought into scope.

By way of reassurance, the Budget announcement does not affect the proposals themselves, and our default position remains that the scheme will be administered via salary sacrifice unless colleagues are not eligible or opt out of this.

An EIA will be completed in the coming weeks and, once finalised, it will be uploaded to the Pensions FAQs microsite.

This will give colleagues the opportunity to review the assessment and provide input or feedback as part of the ongoing consultation process.

We encourage all affected colleagues to engage with it and share any observations or concerns once it is available.

For clarity, the Aviva scheme was only ever available to legacy Grand Union colleagues. No legacy Longhurst Group colleagues were included in this scheme, which may help address any confusion regarding historical scheme access.

We recognise that colleagues may have questions about how the move from LGPS/SHPS DB to a DC scheme could affect their retirement benefits. It is important to note that accrued DB benefits are fully protected.

Projected outcomes under the new DC scheme will vary depending on a number of factors, including age, tenure, salary, and individual contribution levels. Because colleagues can flex their contributions, it is not possible to accurately determine the impact on an individual basis.

To support colleagues in understanding the potential effects, Amplius is providing:

• One-to-one financial education sessions to explore personal circumstances.

• Detailed information briefings explaining the new scheme.

• Comprehensive written materials, including FAQs, and tools to help model potential retirement outcomes.

We encourage all colleagues to engage with these resources and provide feedback during the consultation, so they can make informed decisions and share any observations or concerns.

The employer contributions for both the SHPS DC scheme and the Aviva DC scheme will be identical from 1 April 2026, up to a maximum employer contribution of 10% of salary. Colleague contributions remain flexible, with a minimum of three percent.

These new contribution arrangements are scheduled to take effect from 1 April 2026. The Aviva scheme is a legacy Grand Union arrangement that closely mirrors the SHPS DC scheme in its design, contribution structure, and governance approach. It was originally proposed that this scheme would close, with all colleagues within it moving to the SHPS DC scheme from 1 April 2026 as part of the wider terms and conditions consultation. However, following feedback from legacy Grand Union colleagues during that process, it was agreed that the Aviva scheme would remain open for existing members. This decision reflects the scheme’s similarity to SHPS DC, its low administrative impact, and its ability to maintain a fair and consistent pension offer for all colleagues through identical contribution levels.

The current LGPS and SHPS DB arrangements do not provide this same level of consistency or fairness.

The proposed move to a Defined Contribution (DC) scheme aims to address this inconsistency by ensuring that all colleagues are supported by a fair, modern, and sustainable pension offer that aligns with the way Amplius operates now and into the future, with the intention of ensuring fairness, sustainability and long-term consistency in the benefits framework for all colleagues.

To clarify, are you requesting that colleagues currently in DB schemes (LGPS/SHPS DB) should be given the option to join either the SHPS DC or Aviva DC scheme?

As part of the pension review, a number of different approaches were carefully considered, all of which were assessed for fairness and equity across the workforce. The approach proposed in this consultation was selected as the most balanced and beneficial option for all colleagues, and it is estimated to cost Amplius an additional £491k–£600k per year based on current colleague contribution levels, compared with current pension arrangements. This cost could be higher if colleagues increase their current contributions. It is important to note that this is not a cost-saving exercise, but rather a proposal designed to provide a fair and modernised pension framework for all colleagues.

The purpose of this consultation is to provide you with the opportunity to review the proposals in detail and to put forward any counter-proposals or alternative suggestions, which we will consider carefully.

Amplius is committed to ensuring fairness and equity in pension provision. While the proposed DC scheme reflects the outcome of careful review and benchmarking, we are open to considering counter proposals from colleagues, including ideas around enhanced contributions or targeted protections for those approaching retirement. If this is something you would like us to review, we encourage you to submit it as a counter proposal as part of the consultation process.

The proposal does not currently plan to pass back Amplius’ National Insurance savings through enhanced contributions.

Colleagues will have access to one-to-one financial education sessions designed to help them understand the potential personal impact of the proposed change. These sessions provide tailored support to explore individual circumstances and help colleagues make informed decisions regarding contributions and retirement planning.

While Amplius is committed to maintaining fairness across the workforce, it is not possible to predict individual outcomes given the flexibility of contributions under the DC scheme and variations in personal circumstances. The consultation and supporting financial education sessions are designed to give colleagues the tools to understand and plan for their own situation.

A detailed comparison of the benefits available under LGPS and SHPS DC has already been shared with colleagues during information briefings, via email, and on the Pensions FAQs microsite. To support colleagues further, the recording of the virtual LGPS session and the slides will soon be added to the microsite for anyone who was unable to attend.

As discussed in the information briefings, certain benefits under the DC scheme may differ from the DB arrangements. The exact impact will vary depending on individual circumstances, such as age, salary, and contribution levels. We strongly encourage colleagues to watch the recorded sessions and book one-to-one financial education sessions with CFED, which provide tailored guidance to explore how the proposals may affect their own situation.

Information regarding the LGPS administering authority’s cessation valuation is not relevant to the proposals and is not currently known.

As previously referenced, the proposed approach is estimated to cost Amplius an additional £491k–£600k per year compared with current arrangements. Importantly, this proposal is not a cost-saving exercise, but is intended to deliver a fair, modernised, and sustainable pension framework for all colleagues.