Lífeyrissjóður starfsmanna ríkisins (LSR)
The pension fund for state employees in Iceland
The role of the fund
Founded in 1919, Lífeyrissjóður starfsmanna ríkisins - LSR - is the oldest pension fund in Iceland.
The role of LSR is to pay pensions to its members upon retirement and throughout their lives and to ensure their families with a pension following a loss of income due to an impaired ability to work or due to death. The fund receives premiums and invests them in order to meet their liability regarding old-age pension, disability pension, spouse's pension and children's allowance. Furthermore, the fund grant loans against a mortgage to fund members and accepts and invests voluntary pension savings.
Based on assets, LSR is the largest pension fund in Iceland. In 2020, LSR had a total of 30,590 active members and 24,244 members receiving pensions and other benefits. The funds pays over one-third of all pensions and benefits paid by Icelandic pension funds.
LSR operates in three divisions, divisions A and B and division S, a division for voluntary pension savings. All divisions operate under the same Board but are financially independent.
Division A
Division A of LSR is fully funded. Pension rights are based on the amount of contributions collected. All employees that are being paid in accordance with salary agreements for public employees of the state or state entities as well as certain municipal employees are entitled to become members of LSR. Amongst fund members, there are large groups of teachers, healthcare staff, policemen and others.
The contribution paid to division A amounts to 15.5 per cent of total contributions. The fund member pays 4 per cent and the employer 11.5 per cent. Both parties, i.e. the employee and the employer, pay their part of the premium as long as the employee is employed in a post that qualifies him/her for membership in the fund. Contribution is to be paid from the age of 16 to the end of the month when the fund member reaches 70 years of age.
All new fund members pay into division A.
Division B (the older system)
The older system of LSR is a mixed system that is partially based on funding from accumulated contributions and in part from supplemental contributions from public sources. Pension rights of fund members in division B are based on their working life and the relative proportion of full-time work.
This division was closed to new fund members at the end of 1996. Those members that possess rights in those division still preserve them in division B according to the rules of the fund.
Pensions and benefits
LSR pays:
- old-age pensions
- disability benefits
- spouses' benefits
- children's allowance.
Members in division B have a right to an old-age pension at the age of 65. If a member has paid contributions for three years or more, the pension is price-indexed; whereas in case of a contribution payment-period of less than three years, it is not.
The old-age pension right also commences at the age of 65 in division A. Members of division A can begin to withdraw a pension when they choose to between the age of 60 and 80 years with a commensurate decrease/increase in pension benefits.
Fund members must apply for pension from the fund and payments are then transferred to the member's bank account on a monthly basis.
Division S for personal pension accounts in LSR
Contributions paid to division S are in addition to those contributions paid to divisions A and B. Account balances in division S are the property of the account holder and constitute an inheritance in a similar manner as other personal property.
Further information on personal pension accounts.