Summary
The consultation puts forward four options for the future of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), including final salary and career-average options.

Reform of the LGPS is required because people are living longer than ever before and working lives have also altered significantly. The Government's objective is to safeguard the LGPS as a good quality, defined benefit, funded scheme, while ensuring that it remains affordable, sustainable and acceptable to taxpayers.

Scheme members, employers and members of the public are encouraged to respond positively to this consultation. We will use these views to build a consensus around an equality-proofed new-look Scheme for the existing and future membership from April 2008.

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This publication is available free of charge from:

DCLG Publications
PO Box 236
Wetherby
LS23 7NB

Tel: 0870 1226 236
Fax: 0870 1226 237
Textphone: 0870 1207 405

email: communities@twoten.com.

Please quote the product code (Product code: 06 LGF 04017) when ordering. Delivery will be 5 to 7 days from receipt of order. A maximum quantity restriction may apply.

Alternative formats: if you require this publication in an alternative format (eg Braille, large print or audio cassette) please email alternativeformats@communities.gsi.gov.uk quoting the title and product code/ISBN of the publication, and your address and telephone number.

Changes to the LGPS from 1 April 2004

(The above leaflets/posters are currently being printed and will be distributed shortly to
all employers that participate within the West Midlands Pension Fund)

The main points of the poster/leaflet appear below:

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), Important information for members/prospective members.
Issued by West Midlands Pension Fund, PO Box 170 Wolverhampton WV1 4XU

All About Your Scheme (To request an All About Your Scheme Booklet click on this text >>>)
The following details amend the information in the All About Your Scheme Booklet. They reflect changes introduced to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) by the LGPS (Amendment) Regulations 2004. All of the changes come into force from 1st April 2004, with the exception of revised provisions for the resolution of disputes, which come into effect from 1st June 2004.

Where pension terms are used, they appear in bold type and are defined at the back of the All About Your Scheme Booklet.

Eligibility - Who can join?
The ability of some LGPS members to remain in the scheme has been extended to include those transferring to an NHS employing authority, where their employer enters into an admission agreement.

General Qualification for Benefits
The general entitlement to LGPS benefits is reduced from two years total membership to three months. As a consequence, scheme members leaving without an entitlement to immediate benefits, will only be able to take a refund of contributions if they have less than 3 months total membership and have not brought a transfer value into the LGPS.

Ill-Health Retirement
The definition of ‘permanent ill-health’ has been amended to emphasise that the assessment is made on the balance of probabilities. Scheme members retired due to ill health cannot now be awarded a second period of enhanced membership on health grounds, if subsequently re-employed.

Right to aggregate previous LGPS membership
The right of an active scheme member to aggregate previous local government membership at any time is now restricted. Any election to aggregate must be made within twelve months of again becoming an active member, or such longer period as their employing authority may allow. Where a member chooses not to aggregate a period of membership, they cannot make a subsequent election to aggregate that period of membership on later re-joining the LGPS. The right of LGPS pensioners who re-join the scheme to aggregate previous local government membership at the point of retirement is removed.

Power of an Employing Authority to increase Total Membership
An employing authority may now award a member additional membership at any time during their active membership of the scheme, rather than only on joining or at retirement. Your employer’s policy with regard to this discretion must be included in their policy statement.

Internal Disputes Resolution Procedure (IDRP)
The provisions relating to the settling of a disagreement about a matter relating to the scheme have been simplified. In the first instance you should now write to your employing authority, who will arrange for your complaint to be heard. Following the decision of the person specified by your employing authority to decide disagreements, and if you are still dissatisfied with the decision, you may apply to the appropriate administering authority to have it reconsidered.

Protection for current scheme members
Active members with less than 2 years total membership at 1st April 2004, who have not had a transfer value credited to them, may opt on leaving to receive a refund under the previous provisions.

Active members with un-aggregated membership have twelve months from 1st April 2004, or such longer period as their employing authority allow, to elect to aggregate it with their current membership.

Existing re-employed pensioners may elect, by writing to their administering authority within 6 months of 1st April 2004, to retain their right to aggregate their membership at retirement. The election will include the right for their membership to be aggregated for the benefit of their dependants in the event of their death. Such elections will only apply if the member remains in the same employment, unless subject to a transfer, until retirement or their death.

IDRP cases initiated before 1st June 2004 will be completed under the previous arrangements.

Who can help me if I have a question about the amendments?
If you have any questions about these changes please refer to the contact details below:

Our email address is: PensionFundEnquiries@wolverhampton.gov.uk further details of how to contact us are provided via the link below:

This information does not confer any statutory rights and is provided for information purposes only. In the event of any dispute over your pension benefits, the appropriate legislation will prevail. © West Midlands Pension Fund, March 2004.

Disclaimer ~ Please Read This Notice >>>
While every care has been taken in the compilation of this information and every attempt made to present up-to-date and accurate information, we cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will not occur. Wolverhampton Council will not be held responsible for any loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any inaccuracy or error within these pages. Many links from our site lead to pages maintained by other organisations. These are provided purely for your convenience. They do not imply that the Council endorses or supports those organisations, the information on their pages, or their products or services in any way. No responsibility is assumed by the Council for the contents of their pages.
Data Protection ~ You and the City Council >>>
Copyright © Wolverhampton City Council 2008.

Summary The consultation puts forward four options for the future of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), including final salary and career-average options.

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Changes to the LGPS from 1 April 2004

Summary
The consultation puts forward four options for the future of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), including final salary and career-average options.