Agenda item

The Board has requested an update on Scheme management activities.

Witnesses:

Key points raised during the discussion:

1. The Scheme Manager introduced the report and highlighted the following points:
   1. McCloud - Age Discrimination Remedy – It was noted that the GAD calculation data was sent to XPS for the unprotected & tapered pension members in March 2024 in order to meet the deadline for the production of their Remediable Service Statements (RSS).  The Pension Team continued to work on the GAD data collection exercise to collate and report the GAD calculator data to XPS for each cohort of membership, in accordance with the RSS timetable. Members further noted that the Project Implementation Data Requests had been completed.
   2. 10% Pensionable Allowance – Members noted that the project had been put on hold due to resources in the Pensions Team and the priority given to dealing with issues arising from the implementation of Unit 4. 
   3. Pension Team Resourcing – it was noted that the Pensions Team had appointed to the post of Pensions Officer; however the individual concerned secured another role elsewhere in the Council. The Job description is currently being reviewed and will be placed out to advert imminently.
   4. Matthews – Retained Scheme – On-Call Access – It was noted that the Pensions Team continued to receive completed EOI forms and currently have received replies from roughly 41%. The Workforce Working Group agreed to a tracing exercise in January 2024.  The Pensions Team are currently looking at  potential data protection issues before carrying out the trace. In regard to the timeline for completion of statements, members noted that the project completion deadline was March 2025. To date, 11 statements had been sent of the 60 that should have been issued - due to low resources, the complexity of the calculations and statement completion, and the data needed to complete the calculations. Members of the Board stated that it would be helpful to receive a further update at the next meeting on the project’s progress. Following further discussion, the Board asked for detail on the implications for the SFRS and pension members if the deadline was missed. Officers agreed to provide a response following the meeting.
   5. Annual Benefit Statements / Remediable Service Statement – Members noted a correction sent to members in the newsletter, signposting to information on the SharePoint site in April 2024.
   6. Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) Rectification – Members noted that data from Mercer had recently been sent to XPS to allow completion of the exercise.
   7. Pension Dashboard – Members noted that XPS had created a document to help schemes get Pensions Dashboard ready and would follow with a Dashboard Connection Readiness Report which will be more specific to SFRS.  The expected staging date for Public Service Pension Schemes will be around September 2025.
   8. Pre-Retirement Course – noted that, following positive feedback from the first two courses held by Affinity Connect in 2023, the Pension Team have arranged two further course dates, in April 2024 and September 2024. Members noted that 8 -10 people attended in April 2024.
   9. Training – noted details as outlined in the published report.
   10. Unit 4 Payroll Adjustments – Members noted that errors in the implementation of the Unit 4 system resulted in incorrect pension contributions being deducted from some SFRS Scheme members.  Payroll will contact the affected members to arrange for the under/overpayments to be adjusted.
   11. Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme (MARS) – it was noted that SFRS had been implementing a MARS, supplying information on potential retirement benefits.  It was noted that  some members did suffer delays in receiving their figures.  This delay has now been addressed allowing members to make an informed decision.
   12. The Board received an update on communications and training from the LGA as outlined in the published report.

Actions/ further information to be provided:

None.

Resolved:

The Board noted the report.