A record number of former council workers are sitting on pension pots worth £100,000 or more a year, according to shocking new data.
Former local authority employees collecting pensions worth six figures have surged dramatically over the past half decade, with figures revealing a near-tripling in their ranks.
Britain now has a record 245 retired council staff drawing annual pension payments exceeding £100,000, according to analysis by The Telegraph.
This marks a stark increase from just 94 individuals who received such sums during the 2021-22 financial year.
The findings emerge from Freedom of Information (FoI) requests submitted to pension schemes across England, Scotland and Wales, with responses received from 88 of the 97 funds approached.
Those earning at least £50,000 annually from the Local Government Pension Scheme have similarly doubled during this period, reaching 7,382 recipients.
While overall pension payments rose by just 23 per cent since 2021-22, six-figure payouts climbed by a remarkable 261 per cent, with pensions above £50,000 increasing by 212 per cent.
The LGPS ranks among Britain’s largest final salary pension arrangements, currently funding more than 2.4 million retirements annually.
A further five million workers continue building entitlements within the scheme.
Members receive guaranteed, inflation-linked payments for life, now calculated on average earnings rather than final salary as previously.
Worcestershire Pension Fund tops the national rankings with 52 retirees receiving six-figure annual payments. Wandsworth follows with 20 such recipients, while the West Midlands fund has 17.
Worcestershire again leads with 588 pensioners in this bracket, with West Midlands on 418 and West Yorkshire recording 296.
A Worcestershire county council spokesman noted: “The 640 pensioners receiving annual pensions in excess of £50,000 represent less than 1pc of the fund’s total membership.
“The majority of pensions paid by the fund are therefore significantly lower than the threshold highlighted.”
Employer contributions to the LGPS have declined from 21.3 per cent in 2022 to 16.6 per cent in 2025, with further reductions anticipated as recent valuations show only eight funds in deficit compared to 26 three years earlier.
Members contribute between five and 12.5 per cent of their wages depending on earnings, accruing two per cent of salary for each year of membership.
A Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “This is a tiny proportion of the 6.9 million people in the Local Government Pension Scheme.
“The average pensioner in the scheme receives £5,750 per year and it supports people who dedicate their working lives to their communities: our street cleaners, teaching assistants and librarians.”
