Employer newsletter and information letters

Focus Newsletter – April 2025 

Contents:

  • Employer's submission of year end pension data returns reminder 

  • Local Government Association (LGA) Bulletin 261 Annual Update 

  • Pensions Administration Strategy 

  • Climate Change Strategy 

  • Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) 

  • Confirmation of annual revaluation, earnings and pensions increase 

  • Employer designated pensions contacts 

  • The Neonatal Care Leave and Pay (Consequential Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) Regulations 2025 

Focus Newsletter – February 2025 (Extra)

Contents: 

  • Important information for Scheme employers and payroll managers
  • Actuarial valuation 2025
  • Submission of year end pension data returns
  • Importance of accurate employer data
  • LGPS Scheme members contribution banding from 1 April 2025
  • Revised employer pension contributions effective from 1 April 2025
  • Automatic enrolment earnings bands 2025/26
  • Reminder – vacancies for Co-opted Representative on the Pensions Committee and the Local Pension Board
  • Staffordshire Pension Fund Scheme member videos
  • Arrange a Microsoft Teams call – overview of the Fund
  • New pensions minister

 

Focus Newsletter – February 2025  

Contents:  

  • Vacancies for Co-opted Representatives on the Pensions Committee 

  • Vacancies for the Local Pensions Board (LPB) 

  • Employer Role Training 

 

Focus Newsletter – December 2024

Contents: 

  • Fund’s Draft Annual Report and Accounts 2023-2024 

  • Contract/position changes within your organisation 

  • Staff transfer guidance 

  • Feedback on LGPS informer document  

  • Christmas message to our employers 

 

Focus Newsletter – November 2024

Contents: 

  • Reminder for the Pension Fund’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) – Tuesday 12 November 2024
  • Employer Training Day
  • Academies Employer Focus Peer Group
  • Back dated pay award for Local Government Employees LGPS agreement effective from 1 April 2024 – employees who left before 1 November 2024
  • Leaver Form (PEN LV 1)
  • Independent Registered Medical Practitioner (IRMP) panel
  • Reminder for Scheme Employer Discretionary Policies
  • LGPS Member website – new lump sum tools
  • September 2024 Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate announced

 

Focus Newsletter – September 2024

Contents: 

  • Save the date Tuesday 12 November 2024 Pension Fund Annual General Meeting (AGM)
  • My Pensions Portal (MPP) – Members Annual Benefit Statements (ABS)
  • Employer FAQs on backdated pay awards
  • New Joiners to the Pension Fund
  • SAB Cost Management Process now complete

 

Focus Newsletter – July 2024

Contents: 

  • Employer training day – 1 October 2024
  • Pensions Awareness 2024 – Scheme member webinar
  • Reminder - annual benefit statement – My Pension Portal (MPP)
  • Employer driven retirements – pension strain costs
  • The Scheme Advisory Board (SAB) Annual Report 2023
  • Circulating the Newsletter within your organisation

 

Focus Newsletter – June 2024

Contents: 

  • Updates to guides and factsheets
  • Gender pensions gap research – call for volunteers
  • New LGPS informer document launched for the triennial valuation and accounting/audit purposes
  • Annual Benefit Statement – My Pension Portal (MPP) 
  • Important information for i-Connect users
  • Employer training day
  • LGA Employer role training
  • Circulating the Newsletter within your organisation

 

Focus Newsletter – May 2024

Contents: 

  • Year end return update - thank you to Scheme employers
  • Pension Forms and Documentation
  • Promotion of My Pension Portal
  • LGPS guidance for Academies
  • Circulating the Newsletter within your organisation

 

Focus Newsletter – April 2024

Contents: 

  • Local Government Association (LGA) Bulletin 248 Annual Update
  • Deadline for Employer’s Year End submissions (except Employers using i-Connect)
  • Scheme Employer guidance
  • National Pensions Dashboard – Update
  • Further legal advice following Sharia Law / LGPS report
  • The Pensions Regulator (TPR) – Blog on automatic enrolment
  • Employer Role Training 3
  • Women’s State Pension age
  • Employer designated pensions contacts
  • Circulating the Newsletter within your organisation

 

Focus Newsletter – March 2024

Contents: 

  • Employer’s submission of year end pension data returns reminder

  • Employer Guidance

  • Revised Employer Pension Contributions effective from 1 April 2024

  • LGPS members contribution banding from 1 April 2024

  • Importance of accurate data reminder 

  • Casual Workers 

  • Local Government Association (LGA) Bulletin 248 Annual Update

  • Save the Date – 12 November 2024 Staffordshire Pension Fund AGM  

  • Circulating the Newsletter within your organisation

  • Focus March 2024

 

Focus Newsletter – February 2024 

Contents: 

  • Submission of year end pension data

  • Importance of accurate employer data

  • Revised Employer Pension Contribution effective from 1 April 2024

  • LGPS Scheme Members contribution banding for 1 April 2024

  • Circulating the Newsletter within your organisation

  • Focus February 2024

 

Focus Newsletter – January 2024

Contents:

  • Employers Outsourcing Services Guide and New Admissions to the LGPS

  • My Pensions Portal (MPP)

  • Employer Role Training

  • HM Treasury confirms Lifetime Allowance (LTA) abolition from April 2024

  • New Minister for Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

  • New Pensions Minister

  • Scheme Advisory Board (SAB) report on the LGPS and Sharia Law

  • Circulating the Newsletter within your organisation

  • Focus January 2024

 

Focus Newsletter- November 2023

Contents:

  • Important - McCloud Remedy

  • Fund’s Annual General Meeting (AGM)

  • Fund’s Cyber Security Strategy

  • September 2023 Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate announced

  • Back dated pay award for Local Government Employees

  • LGPS agreement effective from 1 April 2023 – Members who left before 1 November 2023

  • LGPS statistics for 2022 /2023 published

  • Academy Conversion Guidance

  • Focus November 2023

 

Focus Newsletter- October 2023

Contents:

  • Are you interested in becoming a representative on the Employer Focus Peer Group (EFPG)?

  • Pension Fund Annual General Meeting (AGM)

  • New Joiners to the Pension Fund

  • Ill Health Retirement – Independent Registered Medical Practitioner (IRMP).

  • Ill Health Retirement bite -size training for Scheme Employers

  • Members Ill Health Guide

  • LGPS Scheme Advisory Board (SAB) – 2022 Scheme Valuation Report

  • Focus October 2023

 

Focus Newsletter- August 2023

Contents:

  • The Scheme Advisory Board (SAB) Annual Report 2022

  • Reminder Annual Benefit Statements – My Pension Portal (MPP)

  • Pension Early Retirement Costs Invoicing

  • Pension Dashboards delayed until October 2026

  • Focus August 2023

 

Focus Newsletter- July 2023

Contents:

  • Annual Benefit Statement – My Pension Portal (MPP)

  • Guarantee for Academy Trusts outsourcing arrangements

  • Employer Pensions Discretions Reminder

  • Pensions and Life Savings Association (PLSA)

  • Focus July 2023

 

Focus Newsletter- May 2023

Contents:

  • Funding Strategy Statement (FSS)

  • Investment Strategy Statement (ISS)

  • McCloud Reminder

  • Pension Early Retirement Costs Increasing

  • Backdated pay awards

  • Members ill health guide

  • Focus May 2023

 

Focus Newsletter- April 2023

Contents:

  • Local Government Association – Annual update bulletin

  • Actuarial Valuation as at 31 March 2022

  • Employer Year End submissions

  • Government’s Spring Budget (Pensions)

  • Expansion of auto enrolment

  • State Pension Age Review

  • Focus April 2023

 

Focus Newsletter- March 2023

Contents:

  • Employer’s submission of year end data returns

  • Revised Employer Pension Contributions effective from 1 April 2023

  • LGPS Scheme Members contribution banding from 1 April 2023

  • Employer Role Training

 

Focus Newsletter- February 2023

Contents:

  • Important Information for Scheme Employers and Payroll Managers

  • Submission of Year End Pension Data Returns 

  • Employer Guidance 

  • Revised Employer Pension Contributions effective from 1 April 2023

  • LGPS Scheme Members contribution banding from 1 April 2023 

  • IMPORTANT - CARE Pay that should include Assumed Pensionable Pay (APP)

 

Focus Newsletter - January 2023 

 Contents:

 

Focus Newsletter - December 2022 

 Contents:

  • Actuarial Valuation 2022 and the Funding Strategy Statement (FSS) Consultation

  • Fund’s Annual General Meeting (AGM)

  • Fund’s Draft Annual Report and Accounts 2021-2022

  • LGPS Annual Report

  • Focus December 2022

 

Focus Newsletter - October 2022 Extra 

Contents:

  • Beware of scam emails 

  • Employer guides and factsheets

  • Cost of Living increases

  • Pension awareness 2022

  • Supreme court ruling regarding term time workers

  • New pensions ombudsman

  • Focus October 2022 Extra

 

Focus Newsletter - October 2022 

Contents:

  • Special Edition - Actuarial Valuation 2022 Update. 

  • Date for your calendar - 15 November 2022

    Staffordshire Pension Fund’s Annual General MeetingFund’s Actuarial Valuation 2022

  • Thank you to Employers 

  • Focus October 2022

 

Focus Newsletter - August 2022

Contents:

  • Annual benefit statement

  • McCloud Reminder

  • State Pension Triple Lock - reinstated

  • Pension Attention campaign

  • Government confirms Academy gaurentee will continue

  • Employer Role

  • Focus August 2022

 

Focus Newsletter- July 2022

Contents:

  • Ill Health Retirement – Independent Registered Medical Practitioners (IRMP)

  • The Scheme Advisory Board (SAB) – Annual Report 2021

  • Local Pensions Board Representative and an Employer Focus Peer Group Representative – required from our Academies

  • Eligibility to join the Local Government Pension Scheme

 

Focus Newsletter- June 2022

Contents:

  • Local Pension Board (LPB)

  • Employer Focus Peer Group

  • McCloud – Update

  • Save the date 15 November 2022– Pension Fund Annual General Meeting (AGM)

  • Statutory Guidance on special severance payments

 

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.