Local Government Pension Scheme: LGPS Funds

They say that variety is the spice of life – with very large numbers of scheme members and significant numbers of scheme employers (not all of whom are very familiar with the scheme) – Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds see a very wide range of challenging scenarios.

Our approach is to help these funds to navigate any challenges effectively and efficiently, taking the burden of doing so from officers so that they can focus on the business of running the fund for the benefit of its members.

We can also help funds to reduce the number of issues that arise by identifying systemic issues and by providing training to scheme employers.

Anthony Collins is appointed to the approved panel of legal services providers for the National Local Government Pension Scheme Frameworks which offers preferential rates for LGPS funds.  The framework is designed to make it easier for funds by identifying appropriately skilled advisers and putting in place agreed rates through a procurement framework that all funds can use.

Recent Local Government Pension Scheme funds advice

• Helping an LGPS fund investigate and decide upon a variety of complaints by members through the Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure;
• Advising an LGPS fund on the recovery of overpaid benefits;
• Advising an LGPS fund on a challenge to its discretionary allocation of death benefits;
• Drafting subsumption agreements for an LGPS fund;
• Advising LGPS funds on whether an exit payment would be triggered on an amalgamation of a housing group;
• Helping a housing association to make representations to an LGPS fund about whether an exit credit should be paid to the housing association’s contractor;
• Advising an LGPS fund on various complaints to the Pensions Ombudsman.

Different ways in which we help Local Government Pension Schemes funds

• Addressing complaints by members through stages 1 and 2 of the Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure;
• Advising on the recovery of overpayments of pensions;
• The exercise of discretions to award death benefits;
• Advising on the discretion to pay an exit credit;
• Drafting admission agreements;
• Drafting subsumption agreements;
• Advising on whether exit payments would be triggered on a merger, transfer or amalgamation;
• Advising on complaints made to the Pensions Ombudsman;
• Advising on priority arrangements when employers are re-financing;
• Providing training to scheme employers.

For more information

Please contact Douglas Mullen