Employer newsletter and information letters

Focus Newsletter- April 2022

Contents:

  • Investments in Russia and Belarus
  • Independent Registered Medical Practitioners (IRMP)
  • Employer Role Training
  • Deadline for Employer’s Year End submissions (except Employers using i-Connect)
  • A Stronger Nudge to Pensions Guidance
  • Local Government Association (LGA) – Bulletin 221 March 2022
  • Relaunch of the Local Government Association (LGA) member website

Focus Newsletter- March 2022

Contents:

  • Limited Pension Fund service from 17.00 on 11 March to 16 March 2022
  • Employer’s submission of year end data returns
  • Revised Employer Pension Contributions effective from 1 April 2022
  • LGPS Scheme Members contribution banding from 1 April 2022
  • Pensions Pledge – Preventing Pensions Scams
  • NJC “Green Book” Local Government Pay Agreement effective from 1 April 2021 – Active Members
  • NJC Local Government Pay Agreement effective from 1 April 2021 – Members who left before 31 March 2022

Focus Newsletter- February 2022

Contents:

  • Important Information for Scheme Employers and Payroll Departments
  • Funds Actuarial Valuation
  • Submission of Year End Pension Data Returns
  • Revised Employer Pension Contributions effective from 1 April 2022
  • LGPS Scheme Members contribution banding from 1 April 2022
  • IMPORTANT - CARE Pay that should include Assumed Pensionable Pay (APP)
  • Coronavirus job retention scheme - Furlough

Focus Newsletter- January 2022 - McCloud Judgement Update

Contents:

  • Background
  • Fund and Employers working in partnership
  • All Employer Data Requests will be issued by 31 January 2022
  • What information has been sent to employers
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Further assistance needed

Focus Newsletter- January 2022

Contents:

  • Preparing for the Fund’s April 2022 Actuarial Valuation
  • Annual Employer Returns 2021 - 2022 
  • Why is clean and accurate data important?
  • Important – CARE pay that should include Assumed Pensionable Pay (APP)
  • Improving the Ill Health Retirement decision making process 
  • Updated Administering Authority Pensions Discretionary Powers

Focus Newsletter- November 2021

Contents:

  • Pension Fund Forum Annual General Meeting
  • Academies -  Accounting Briefing Session
  • Vacancies for a Co-opted Employer Representative on the Pensions Committee
  • Vacancies for representatives on the Employer Focus Peer Group
  • McCloud – Data Requirement Update

Focus Newsletter- October 2021

Contents:

  • Pension Forum Annual General Meeting
  • i-Connect – Forms Employers must complete
  • New name for Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
  • Potential changes in Auto Enrolment rules

Focus Newsletter- September 2021

Contents:

  • Important - McCloud Employer Data Requirements
  • My Pensions Portal (MPP) - Members Annual Benefit Statement

Focus Newsletter- August 2021

Contents:

Focus Newsletter - July 2021

Contents: 

  • Annual benefit statement - My Pension Portal
  • McCloud update
  • Vacancy for Employer Representative on the Pension Committee
  • Employer training
  • LGPS Annual Report
      
  • Focus July 2021

Focus Newsletter - May 2021

Contents:

  • Ill-health guidelines and updated ill health certificates (forms)
  • Schools and academies - re-letting an existing outsourced contract
  • Submitting personal and sensitive employee data to the Fund
  • Important: McCloud judgement - reminder
  • Funding strategy statement (FSS)

Focus Newsletter - April 2021

Contents:

  • Deadline for employer's year end submissions (except employers using i-connect)
  • McCloud judgement
  • Draft funding strategy statement (FSS) - employer consultation closes on 18 May 2021

Focus Newsletter - March 2021

Contents:

  • Fund's annual general meeting
  • Employer's submission of year end pension data returns
  • LGPS member contribution banding from 1 April 2021
  • Pension Fund website / forms
  • Local Government Association (LGA) - understanding the employer role - training
  • Pension taxation - lifetime allowance (LTA)
  • £95,000 exit payment no longer in place

Focus Newsletter - February 2021

Contents:

  • Important information for scheme employers and payroll departments
  • Revised employer pension contributions effective from 1 April 2021
  • LGPS members contribution banding from 1 April 2021
  • CARE pay that should include assumed pensionable pay
  • Coronavirus job retention scheme - furlough

Focus Newsletter - January 2021

Contents:

  • Exit credit policy consultation
  • McCloud
  • Pensions Forum annual general meeting (AGM)
  • My Pension Portal (MPP)
  • i-Connect

Focus Newsletter - November 2020

Contents:

  • Coronavirus job retention scheme - furlough
  • McCloud webpage
  • The £95,000 exit payment cap - effective from 4 November 2020
  • September 2020 consumer price index
  • LGPS Funds - England and Wales 2019/20

Focus Newsletter - October 2020

Contents:

  • My Pension Portal (MPP) - update
  • The £95,000 exit payment cap - effective from 4 November 2020
  • Local Government Association (LGA) - employer role training
  • McCloud update
  • Government confirms intention to increase minimum pension age

Focus Newsletter - August 2020

Contents:

  • McCloud - judgement update
  • Public sector exit payment cap - update

Focus Newsletter - July 2020

Contents:

  • McCloud - government consultation published
  • My Pension Portal (MPP) - update
  • Employer training workshops
  • Schools and academies - outsourcing staff
  • The Scheme Advisory Board (SAB) - annual report 2019

Focus Newsletter - June 2020

Contents:

  • Thank you to employers
  • My Pension Portal (MPP) - promotional material
  • Covid 19 - pension information
  • Employer pensions discretions
  • Employer data retention policy

Focus Newsletter - May 2020

Contents:

  • Covid-19 update
  • My Pension Portal (MPP) - online annual benefit statement (ABS)
  • Ill-health retirement - obtaining IRMP opinions during the pandemic
  • Death in service guarantees for frontline Covid-19 staff
  • Pension taxation - lifetime allowance (LTA) increased to £1,073,000

Focus Newsletter - April 2020

Contents:

  • Covid-19 information for scheme employers
  • Frequently asked LGPS questions for employers on COVID-19
  • Deadline for employer's submission (except employers using i-Connect)
  • Actuarial valuation as at 31 March 2019
  • Actuarial strain cost for early retirement - new factors from 1 May 2020
  • Employer training 

Focus Newsletter - March 2020

Contents:

  • Important information for scheme employers and payroll departments
  • LGPS contribution banding from 1 April 2020
  • CARE pay that should include assumed pensionable pay (APP)
     
  • Focus March 2020

Focus Newsletter - February 2020

Contents:

  • Monthly contributions process change
  • LGPS member contribution banding for April 2020
  • Fund's website and accessibility
  • Employer guide to automatic / re-enrolment into the LGPS
  • Vacancies for employer representatives on the Pension Committee

  • Focus February 2020

Focus Newsletter - January 2020

Contents:

  • Internal dispute resolution procedure (IDRP) - new guide for employers
  • Pensions made simple - member videos
  • Annual report and accounts
  • Annual benefit statements (ABS) online
  • New employer admissions - important reminder

  • Focus January 2020

Archive

Older newletters are available in the Employer Focus Newsletter Archive.