Decision details

Presentation - Update on Pension Administration Communications

Decision Maker: Lancashire Local Pension Board

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Decisions:

(Exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. It was considered that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information).

 

The Engagement Manager from the Local Pensions Partnership updated the Board on the activity of the Engagement Team with regard to member/employer engagement, the 2018 Practitioners Conference and Annual Benefit Statement Pension Surgeries. The Board noted that during employer visits the Team was encouraging employees to sign up to My Pensions Online and was providing sessions to show employees how to use the system to access information about their pensions.

 

With regard to the pension administration service Board members voiced their serious concern that six months after the implementation of the administration transformation plan the level of service was still not back to where it was beforehand. They noted that staff are being asked to work substantial levels of overtime to achieve even this, and are strongly of the view that this is not a sustainable model of operation in the long term.

 

The Board also noted that the last formal report made available to them at this meeting was two months old, and that nobody from LPP’s line management was able to attend to give them a detailed update. In the absence of up to date information members find it difficult to fulfil their legal remit of assisting the Scheme Manager to ensure effective and efficient administration.

 

Resolved:

 

1.  That the Head of Fund confirm that the Minutes of the Board meeting held on the 3rd July 2018 had been forwarded to the Local Pension Partnership’s Board and inform the Board whether any response had been received.

 

2.  That the Minutes of this meeting be forwarded to the Local Pension Partnership’s Board to make them aware of the level of the Board's concerns at the deterioration in the pension administration service.

 

3.  That the Manager in charge of the pension administration service at the Local Pension Partnership be requested to present an update to the Board on the 29th January 2019.

 

4.  That the Pension Fund Committee be requested to obtain detailed assurances from the Local Pension Partnership that sufficient resources, management, and governance are to be put in place to ensure that agreed administration service levels are maintained on a long term sustainable basis.

 

5.  That members of the Board be provided with regular updates on the pension administration service on a prompt and timely basis.

Date of decision: 16/10/2018

Decided at meeting: 16/10/2018 - Lancashire Local Pension Board