Written Ministerial Statement on McCloud

Recently Luke Hall, the Local Government Minister made a Written Ministerial Statement on McCloud and the LGPS. The statement confirms the key changes to scheme regulations that will be made to remove age discrimination from the LGPS. The statement confirms that:

• The age requirement for underpin protection will be removed
• A member will not need to leave with an immediate entitlement to benefits to qualify for underpin protection
• The remedy period will end on 31 March 2022
• The underpin calculation will be based on final pay at the underpin date, even if this is after 31 March 2022
• There will be two stages to the underpin calculation: the first on the underpin date which is the date of leaving or age 65, if earlier, the second when the benefits are paid
• The regulations will be retrospective to 1 April 2014.

We expect MHCLG to issue a full response to the consultation and to publish draft regulations later this year.

Employer Self Services (ESS) Work Activities

Following the item in January’s edition, unfortunately there are still a few of you who are not completing the work activities after a leaver form has been rejected. Please make sure that you complete the work activity once you have uploaded a revised leaver form to the members record. Go back into the relevant work activity, select New Entry, confirm a new form has been uploaded and press Save – this will update the work activity to ‘In Progress’. Then re-select the work activity and press ‘Save’ again to complete it.  Please see the guidance on our website for help with the process.

Amendments to the LGPS Leaver Form

We have amended the leaver form to request the APP for all tiers of ill health rather than just tier 1 and tier 2. This is because if a member moves from tier 3 to tier 2 following the review, we need the APP figure for the enhanced benefits, so we believe that if provided at date of leaving, it makes it easier for all concerned.

In some cases, we are still receiving older versions of the form which do not include all the required information. Please do not stockpile leaver forms, always download the form from ESS as that will always be the latest version.

Keep us updated

Please remember to keep us updated with any changes in staff responsible for completing our forms (authorised signatories). This can be done by completing our online form.

You can also use this form to notify us of your IDRP Stage 1 Appeals Officer, your Payroll Provider, your contact for Interfaces and to sign up to our employer newsletter Pensions Line

Change of Payroll Provider & Provision of Data

It is important that you contact the Employer & Communications Team if you are changing your payroll provider. We can then work with you to ensure you put processes in place to retain access to historical payroll information and continue to fulfil your responsibilities as a Scheme employer.

Payment of Pension Fund Contributions

Please remember to inform us and the relevant Finance team each time you have paid your pension scheme contributions, by filling in the Monthly Contributions Form. If we receive the returns right away with the payments and they are correct, it makes the process so much easier. Please ensure that you build this form into your procedures.

If you are a Somerset Pension Fund employer, please contact the Corporate Finance Team for a copy of the Monthly Contribution Return: Corporatefinancepens@somerset.gov.uk

If you are a Devon Pension Fund Employer, you will need to use the online EAS5 form. 

TUPEs & New Academies

If you are outsourcing services and have a number of staff who will be subject to TUPE and moving to a new employer or your school is converting to an Academy or moving MAT, please do not submit any leaver forms as this will complicate the process – instead there is a staff data capture spreadsheet you can complete on our website.

Contacts

Employer & Communications Team

Quick links

Employer Services (ESS) Guide

Peninsula Pensions Employers' Pages

Peninsula Pensions Employers' Guide

LGPS regulations and guidance

Fund Investments

LGPS National Website

Newsletters

Back copies