Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

 Apologies were received from Tor Strowger and Richard North.

To enable Members to disclose to the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest they may have in any matter on the agenda for the meeting, where that interest is not already entered in the Authority’s register of interests, and any other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests in any such matter that Members may wish to disclose.

Members were mindful of their duty to disclose at the meeting any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest they had in any matter on the agenda for the meeting, where that interest was not already in the Authority’s register of interests, and their ability to disclose any other personal interests in any such matter that they might have wished to disclose.

No declarations were made.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting.

The minutes of the 13 August 2024 were reviewed and agreed.

Pursuant to Standing Order 19, to receive any deputations to this meeting.

There were no deputations.

To receive any announcements the Chairman may wish to make.

The Chairman informed the Board that he will be attending a meeting with all the Chairs of Boards across the service and will provide an update at the next meeting. He also welcomed Rob Sansome, the Employer Representative, to the Board, and Hayley Read from Hampshire Pension Services to the meeting.

To receive a report providing an update on legislation and the Local Government Association.

The Board received the Legislation and Local Government Association (LGA) Update from the Chief Financial Officer (item 6 in the minute book).

The Board was informed that the reports are reviewed monthly against LGA and Hampshire Pension Services bulletins and updates. The last three months have been crucial for McCloud and Matthews, with the report showing new guidance and clarification points. Although it has been a year since these issues arose, progress is being made.

The bulletins include updates from the Scheme Advisory Board. Concerns about tax on lump sums, raised at the last meeting, have now been resolved.

The report highlights training opportunities for Board Members. The Chief Financial Officer agreed to request that additional people be added to fully booked Teams training sessions to avoid Members having to wait until June for the next available session.

Representatives from HR and the Pension Board attended the annual Firefighters Pension Conference. Ross Singleton, Scheme Representative, reported that the training was excellent, with a focus on the impending Universal Pension Dashboard.

The Chief Financial Officer explained that the Pension Dashboard will allow employees to see all their pensions in one place, with larger schemes being integrated first and smaller schemes later. However, the DWP is struggling to input their data, delaying the dashboard's launch. The Chief Financial Officer confirmed that our paperwork for the dashboard has been submitted.

Councillor Price, Employer Representative, noted that the LGA charges each Fire Service for Pension Services updates, in addition to the initial subscription fees. A significant increase in these charges is expected next year, which he has challenged on behalf of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority, as it is significantly higher than inflation. The Chief Financial Officer advised that they will monitor the charges after the McCloud and Matthews issues are resolved, as the requirements should decrease, potentially leading to adjusted charges.

RESOLVED

The content of the report were noted by the HIWFRA Firefighters' Pension Board.

To receive an update on the development of key issues and to review the Risk Register.

The Board received the Fire Pension Board Status Report and Risk Register Review from the Chief Financial Officer (item 7 in the minute book).

The Chief Financial Officer advised that we have reached a critical stage in implementing McCloud and Matthews, and the report is heavily focused on this.

Communications were provided to new recruits and at recent pre-retirement courses. Information was also distributed in the Routine Notice in September, advising staff on how to raise Pension Enquiries.

The Board discussed whether including a post in the Routine Notice was sufficient, as there seems to be a lot of confusion within the Service. The Chief Financial Officer acknowledged the confusion and explained that both McCloud and Matthews are happening simultaneously, leading to concurrent information dissemination. The Board was informed that a selection of Frequently Asked Questions is being prepared, which will be constantly updated and linked on both the Pensions page and the main Fire pages for easier access. It was also agreed that Hampshire Pension Services can update the template for future information releases to enhance clarity. The Board was advised that our Service is at the forefront of addressing these issues, as many other Services have not yet issued the Annual Benefit Statements. The Vice Chairman suggested sharing this with Employees to foster understanding and tolerance by highlighting the extensive work involved.

The Board was informed of ongoing regular meetings between Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, IBC Pensions Administration, and Hampshire Pension Services. The Chief Financial Officer recently attended the Pension session at the National Fire Finance Network Conference.

Significant progress has been made on the McCloud remedy since the last update. The Remedial Service Annual Benefit Statements for active and deferred members have been issued, providing more information than initially planned. By the 31 August deadline, 85.4% of the statements were produced, with the bulk sent out by 20 September. All statements have now been issued. This breach will be reported to the Pensions Regulator, although no sanctions are expected. This will be included in the Annual Report to the Full Authority, and no further action is required at this time.

The Chairman noted that there are numerous queries related to the statements, and recipients seem confused. It is hoped that the second issuance will be clearer.

For this year only, members wishing to pay contributions to return to their legacy pension plan can split the payments into three instalments; this option will not be available in future years.

Remedial Pensions Savings Statements were due by 6 October and were issued on time. All queries received have been addressed.

Statements are now being manually created for members who retired between 2015 and 1 October 2023.

Final statements are to be issued to members fully protected in the legacy scheme. Although the necessity of this has been questioned, the Chief Financial Officer confirmed that it is required. A clear cover letter will accompany the statements to minimize confusion.

At the last meeting, the Board  ...  view the full minutes text for item 129.