Minutes of the meeting held 6 September 2022

Board Members:

• C Tapp (Chair of Pension Board)
• Cllr Kevin Gillott (County Councillor Member of FRA)
• Sean Connor (Senior HR Partner/Pension Advisor to Notts/Leics)
• Mark Nash (Head of Finance)
• Nigel Gourlay (County Councillor Member of FRA)
• Helen Scargill (Relationship Manager WYPF) – link between WYPF and the Fire Authorities
• Matt Mott (Governance)
• M Lloyd-Jones (Notes)

1. Apologies

• D Carter (Employee Representative)
• S Allsop
• J Edwards
• A Barrett
• E Stevenson

2. Declarations

There were no declarations of interest.

3. Minutes from the Previous Meeting

The Board agreed the accuracy of the last minutes of 24 May 2022.

Members noted that Annual Benefits are only available to view on-line and so if members have not signed up they will be unable to see their calculations. The group would work together to raise the numbers of people registering with “My Pension”.

The Annual FPS Conference is scheduled for 26-28 October but it was agreed that local training would also prove useful.

4. Review Risk Register

There have been no changes to the Risk Register since the last meeting with high risks remaining the same.

There is complexity around legislation and rules coming out and the Service are doing as much as they can with the information available. S Connor is liaising with KPMG and is taking opportunities to gain a greater understanding of new legislation as it is published.

• Action - C Tapp/S Allsop would consider developing formal localised training/understanding for Members of the Pension Board to include TPR modules.
• Action - H Scargill to circulate training schedules used by other Services.
• Action - Members agreed to increase the likelihood to 4 until training is completed and sufficient knowledge and understanding gained.
• Action - A colour coded risk matrix would be added to the bottom of the Risk Register and M Nash would circulate.
• Action - M Nash to amend Page 1 to read TPR not HMRC.
• Action - M Nash to add TPR Cyber Security to the Risk Register and would refer to ICT Department.

5. WYPF Monthly Bulletin for August

The WYPF Bulletin is an ever-evolving document and Members would feed in any suggestions for improvement/discussion items to H Scargill.

Members noted the following:

• There is a requirement for FRAs to ensure a process is in place to notify WYPF of any unpaid breaks in service, for members of 2015 scheme.
• Statutory deadlines were met.
• My Pensions Guide (paper version) of how members can sign up and how to rectify issues has been produced along with a video.
• KPI reports are being revamped and in the test environment at the moment. Updates will be provided as things progress with the move from old to new.
• KPIs for month of July are 100% apart from 1 form. A plan is in place to address the backlog.
• Approaching 50% of active members signed off.
• Pensioners would gain no benefit from signing up to My Pension. The focus should remain on active and deferred members. Action - C Tapp to produce a WIS article/FBU communication to help raise the numbers each quarter.
• Members agreed that it would be useful having a commentary to digest pre meetings.

6. Verbal Update on ID Remedy

Members noted the following:

• WYPF have dealt with Cat1 cases as a priority.
• All members have had ID remedy delivered. 1 further retirement notice given in formally (March 23). Payroll have worked with WYPF who have 23 clients who will be dealt with in a priority order.
• Pay award not agreed but some estimated figures will be provided. On
• 4 January the Service can then look at providing full remedy retirement options.
• No news on changes to legislation - ongoing and ever developing.
• Cat 2s - people already retired without remedy. MoU in place between LGA and FBU.
• There is one further risk attached to Cat 2 only - unauthorised payment charge (55% tax). This is a tax charge on any adjusted lump sum. This will pose a risk to the Board and the FRA will have to consider for Cat 2 cases. When the Government withdrew support this included the 55% charge. FRAs don’t know if they will get the 55% back and are awaiting legislation through Parliament. Eventually Cat 2 will be allowed 100%. Some FRAs have been willing to take the risk that the FRA will fund and some don’t want to take the risk and will look at the time of legislation coming through. Action - to review the position of Cat 2 cases at the next Board meeting on 5 December.

7. RDS Modified Second Exercise Proposal

Members noted the following:

• Some things still to be negotiated and qualifying criteria to be discussed.
• There are a number of people who may qualify to buy back additional service right back to the start of their employment which would have an impact on resources for WYPF/Payroll/HR.
• S Connor is leasing with L Dempsey from a workforce planning point of view.
• There is no direct calculation of employers contribution as this will be divided between 45 other Services.
• LGA have been asked to pass on to Government to see if they are open to an agreement.