Employer newsletter and information letters

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

Focus Newsletter - December 2019

Contents:

  • i-Connect update
  • Annual general meeting
  • Individual employer valuation 2019 results
  • McCloud case - latest update
  • September 2019 rate of consumer price index (CPI)
     
  • Focus December 2019

Focus Newsletter - November 2019

Contents:

  • McCloud case - LGPS implications
  • Exit cap update
  • Fund actuarial valuation results 2019
  • Funding strategy statement (FSS) consultation
     
  • Focus November 2019

Focus Newsletter - September 2019

Contents:

  • Pensions savings certificates - annual allowance (AA)
  • LGPS - employer data retention policy
  • Annual benefit statements (ABS)
  • Flexible retirement
  • Who is an eligible employee / scheme member
     
  • Focus - September 2019

Focus Newsletter - August 2019

Contents:

  • Local Pension Board vacancy
  • Employer guides and factsheets
  • Empoyer Focus peer group
  • Annual benefit Statements
     
  • Focus - August 2019

Focus Newsletter - June 2019

Contents:

  • Year end return - thank you to employers
  • Valuation consultation
  • Exit cap consultation
  • The Scheme Advisory Board (SAB) - annual report
     
  • Focus - June 2019

Focus Newsletter - April 2019

Contents:

  • Employer Training Day
  • Exit Cap Consultation
  • Pension Fund Administration Strategy Consultation
  • Deductions for Additional Pension
     
  • Focus - April 2019

Focus Newsletter - March 2019

Contents:

  • Fund’s Actuarial Valuation
  • Annual Employer Returns
  • Pension Fund Administration Strategy
  • Local Pension Board
     
  • Focus - March 2019

Focus Newsletter - February 2019

Contents:

  • Changes to the LGPS introduced on 10 January 2019
  • Overview of the government consultation which aims to introduce greater pension protection for employees of LGPS
  • Pension contribution rates / banding effective from 1 April 2019
  • Proposed improvements to the LGPS
     
  • Focus - February 2019

Focus Newsletter - November 2018

Contents:

  • Fund's Annual General Meeting 2018
  • Employer Focus Peer Group
  • Fund's new website launched
  • Budget - SCAPE discount rate change
     
  • Focus - November 2018

Focus Newsletter - October 2018

Contents:

  • Fund's Actuarial Valuation 2019
  • Annual Employer Returns 2017/2018
  • Pension Data 2018/2019
  • Proposed Changes to the LGPS
     
  • Focus - October 2018

Archive

Older newletters are available in the archived newsletters section.