If the Court issues a Pension Sharing Order, or your benefits are subject to a qualifying agreement in Scotland, part of your benefits are transferred to your ex-spouse or ex-civil partner.
Your ex-spouse or ex-civil partner will hold those benefits in their own right. This is known as a pension credit. You can find out more about pension credits by looking at the pension credit FAQs.
Your pension and any lump sum will be reduced by the amount allocated to your ex-spouse or ex-civil partner at the point of divorce/dissolution. The reduction is called a pension debit.
The value of the pension debit will increase each year in line with the cost of living between the date it applies from and the date your pension is paid. When you take your pension, the increased amount will be deducted from your pension benefits. The pension debit amount will be adjusted if you take your pension before or after your Normal Pension Age.
You may wish to increase your pension to make up for the reduction following a pension share. You can find information on paying extra to increase your pension in the Paying more section.
If your LGPS pension is subject to a Pension Sharing Order, you can still transfer your remaining benefits to another pension arrangement. If you transfer within the LGPS, your new fund will reduce your benefits by the pension debit when you take your pension.