On flexible retirement members can choose whether to take all or some of the pension they have built up. The underpin check is carried out when they flexibly retire, and if their pension increases, a proportion of the increase will be paid to match the proportion of benefits that they are taking that were built up after 31 March 2015. A further underpin check will be carried out when they take the remainder of their pension.
If they flexibly retired before 1 April 2022 and remained a member of the LGPS (NI) they will build up further pension that also has underpin protection. NILGOSC will carry out a further underpin check when they retire.