Agenda and minutes

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Venue: Committee Room 'D' - The Henry Bolingbroke Room, County Hall, Preston. View directions

Contact: Chris Mather  Tel: (01772) 533559, Email:  chris.mather@lancashire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

County Councillor Roper took the chair in the absence of County Councillor Welsh.

 

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

None.

2.

Disclosure of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests

Members are asked to consider any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

Minutes:

None.

3.

Minutes of the Meeting held on 13 June 2012 pdf icon PDF 51 KB

To be confirmed, and signed by the chair.

Minutes:

Resolved:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 13 June 2012 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

4.

Membership of Local Government Pension Scheme and Auto-enrolment pdf icon PDF 59 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Sub-Committee considered a detailed communications action plan and timetable for the roll out of the previously agreed Communications Strategy.

 

The Strategy was designed to encourage a greater take up of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) by County Council employees.  It was proposed to launch the internal communications campaign to coincide with the County Council's auto-enrolment date (1 January 2013) and the roll out of the campaign was expected to begin week commencing 29 October with a feature in Phil's update.  The campaign would continue through to February 2013.

 

It was explained that the County Council was responsible for the auto enrolment of employees and it was important that the Pension Fund Committee took advantage of the auto enrolment exercise to increase membership of the LGPS. 

 

Members noted that the communications action plan included:

 

  • A poster and leaflet campaign
  • Regular features in Phil's Updates
  • A staff notice campaign, including Live Q & A's 
  • Letters to all staff including those who would not be auto-enrolled
  • Financial planning sessions & surgeries
  • Website developments
  • Launch of self service function

 

It was noted that all campaign materials would be made available to other Fund employers including District Councils and Unitary Authorities as the auto enrolment process began to affect them i.e. at the point that individual employer staging dates were confirmed by the Pensions Regulator.  The Your Pension Service would also run surgeries if requested to do so by other Fund employers.

 

Members also noted that the campaign would link into an exercise being undertaken by the Unison trade union to highlight the benefits of employees joining the LGPS. 

 

Resolved:  That the Communications Strategy action plan and the timescales for the roll out of the Strategy, as now presented, be approved.

5.

Report on Member Self Service pdf icon PDF 57 KB

Minutes:

The Sub-Committee considered a report on the development of a Member Self Service system that would allow scheme members including pensioners online access to their data through a secure website. 

 

The new system would enable members to:

 

·  Perform pension forecasts

·  Check and amend contact/address details

·  Check pension scheme membership and accuracy of records

·  View nominations and download forms to amend / complete

·  View Annual Benefit Statements online

·  View payslip & P60 details online (pensioners only)

·  Change bank account details (pensioners only)

·  View and download Scheme documents, guides, factsheets, leaflets etc.

 

This development was due to go live at the end of November 2012 to coincide with the issue of annual benefit statements for current active members of the Lancashire County Pension Fund. Members would be informed by newsletter that their statements could be accessed on line.  It was noted that members would still be able to request information including statements in hard copy format. The newsletter would contain a guide to registration. Pensioners and deferred members would be informed of this development under separate cover.

 

It was confirmed that significant and robust testing of the new system had been undertaken to ensure that information could be accessed and amended securely online.  Audit checks had also been built into the system to help detect any fraudulent activity.

 

Resolved:  That the implementation of Member Self Service be noted.

6.

Urgent Business

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

Minutes:

None.

7.

Date of Next Meeting

To be confirmed.

Minutes:

To be confirmed by the County Secretary and Solicitor.