Local government pension for dummies!

[Crayolaaa]

I've just got a new job and will be enrolling on the local government pensions scheme, contributing 6%ish.

I've read about the 1/49th aspect of employers contributions but I really can't get my head around it - I'm just used to the % employer contribution and am struggling with the maths.

How do I calculate what they contribute, how this works with my contributions and what I'll actually get?!

So the 1/49th means that, say you earnt £10,000 in one year. You would then be entitled to a pension of £490 a year in retirement (1/49th). Earn another £10k next year, you get another £490 a year in retirement.
What you get in pension is not directly related to what you pay in - that is why this type of scheme is incredibly desirable!

The LGPS is a defined benefit scheme so, from the perspective of your benefits, i.e. what you will get, how much your employer contributes is academic as it has no bearing on that.
The 1/49th is the accrual rate. The pension you build up is based on your pensionable pay. Your pensiinable pay across a acheme year (1 april to 31 march) is divided by 49 to determine your annual pension built up in that year (if paid at normal pension age, which is the same as your state pension age). The pension built up in each scheme year in then revalued each year on 1 April (revaluation rate is based on change in Consumer Prices Index).

much more succinctly put ohhgreat

the national members' site has all sorts of helpful information, including a modeller/calculator you can play about with to determine how much pension you would get based on pay, years of membership after 1/4/2014, inflation, pay rises (ha!) that you can set with 'sliders'.
lgpsmember.org/more/pam/index.php

Thanks both, it's much clearer. I take it then my % contribution goes towards this, rather than being in addition to this?

Yes crayolaaa, your standard contributions are also academic. The benefits are all 'pensionable pay' based.
If you pay additional pension contributions (APCs) to buy more pension, or additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) that would be different.

Why is it desirable though? Employer puts in quite a lot but low paid worker would never actually get that back?

IE work there for 3 year's build up say... totally random ...7 grand in pension.

You would only ever get paid for 3 year's work of 10 grand and get 490 a year only? When actually you had acured more??