 
As part of an ongoing project to ensure AVC contributions are applied smoothly and quickly, Prudential have put together a handy guide to help submit your payroll information successfully each time. This includes guidance on how to format and send payroll information.
The link to the guide is as follows: A guide to administering your payroll
Please take the time to read the guide and, should it be necessary, implement any corrections to your payroll files.
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If you have a policy to award the backpay to leavers, you will need to provide us with revised leaver information so that we can re-calculate their benefits using the revised pensionable pay/CARE pay information.
If you still have some to send us for any members who have left or retired since 1 April 2024, please use the usual Leavers spreadsheet confirming the total revised pensionable pay for the last 365 days to date of leaving (if applicable) and the revised total actual pensionable pay below (including Assumed Pensionable Pay) – the figures provided must be the revised total amount not just the additional figure to apply.
Once completed, send it to the Pensions Leavers mailbox: finance.pensionsleavers-mailbox@devon.gov.uk clearly stating ‘Revised Leaver Forms re pay award’ in the subject line.
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Devon County Council (DCC) will be changing its financial systems at the end of March 2025 to support more efficient processes and improving how payments can be made to us.
All new electronic invoices will have a Pay Link on the last page. If you receive your invoice via email, you can simply click on that link and it will take you straight to an online payment page with your invoice information filled in for you.
For bacs payments, there will be no changes to the bank account we accept payments to. Please be aware of fraudulent activity and distrust any communications from those who may impersonate DCC by requesting payments be made to a different account. If necessary, please contact us to confirm that a message or request is official.
Please see our webpage - DCC Financial Systems Change - March 2025 - Peninsula Pensions for more information.
Devon fund: 1 April is the Go live date for HeyCentric our Income Management system. The Devon Pension Fund bank account remains the same. There will be a “pay by link” on invoices. Please could you ensure your payment includes the Employer number on all contribution payments. For payment of invoices please quote the invoice number on your payment description so the system can auto allocate.
Peninsula Pensions have been working on identifying members of the LGPS who qualify for McCloud protection, this has now been completed, and we are currently reviewing the members identified.
Whilst working through these cases we might need to contact you, the employers, to gather further information relating to your members. The information that we will be asking for includes details of hours worked, breaks in service and final pensionable pay (2008 scheme definition) this will allow us to do the comparison between the final salary benefits and Career Average (CARE) benefits. In most cases the reason for this is because the information that we hold will only relate to the CARE scheme as the member has no pre 14 membership in respect of that employment but qualifies for protection due other LGPS membership or public sector pension scheme membership.
In April 2025 we are looking to start recalculating benefits already in payment and contacting members/dependents with details of any additional monies due.
The LGPC team and the Communications Working Group have worked with Affinity Connect to develop McCloud webinars for LGPS members. Please see our news article for more information.
The first webinars begin this week and will be delivered by Affinity Connect. Please share the following link with your employee’s:
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A reminder to apply the new contribution bands for employees from 1st April.
Please see our previous Pensions Line article for more information Pensions Line January 2025.
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As administrators of the Devon and Somerset Pension Funds, Peninsula Pensions is legally required to have a formal complaints procedure known as IDRP which places strict obligations on both scheme employers, administering authorities and Peninsula Pensions.
The IDRP is a formal procedure which is in place to resolve disagreements about decisions taken regarding LGPS pension matters. The process is in two stages:
- Stage 1 complaint relating to employer pension responsibilities ie ill health tier awarded is looked at by your nominated IDRP Stage 1 Appeals Officer.
- Stage 2 is looked at by The Administering authority nominated officer.
More information on the process can be found on our website.
Action for employers: Regulations state that you must appoint a person to consider appeal cases at Stage 1 of the IDRP so if you haven’t already, please confirm who that is via our online form.
Thank you to those employers who have worked with us and completed outstanding tasks as highlighted in the employer reports, there has been a substantial decrease in outstanding tasks.
If you are an employer with tasks that are still outstanding by 31/03/25, you may incur fines as laid out in the pension administration strategy. If you haven't already please contact our Employer and Communications team if you have any cases you are unsure of.
As set out in the pension administration strategy, please send your annual returns to us by 30 April 2025.
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The UK Government has announced that the earliest age members can take their pension will increase from age 55 to 57 with effect from 6 April 2028. This does not apply if you have to take your pension early due to ill health. Our NMPA news article contains more information. |
If you haven't booked already and are interested in the LGPS employer role training, please see our February Pensions Line for available dates - Pensions Line February 2025.
Keep us updated with any changes in staff responsible for completing our forms (authorised signatories). This can be done by completing our online form.
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 you are changing your Payroll Provider, please contact the Employer & Communications Team so that we can help you through the process and make sure you retain access to historical payroll information.
TUPEs & New Academies - Please do not complete the leaver spreadsheet if members are leaving your employment and transferring to another employer under TUPE. Follow the process outlined on our website instead.
Useful Links
Peninsula Pensions Employers' Pages
Fund Investments
LGPS National Website
Previous editions of Pensions Line
LGPS regulations and guidance
Employer Training - Peninsula Pensions
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