Issue - meetings

The Acting Pensions Manager presented the report for the three months to the end of September 2016.

He said that it had been an intense period for staff, who had to deal simultaneously with the Fund valuation, the year-end process to comply with the requirements of TPR and the Fire Service valuation. The Team was also being restructured and consultations with staff would begin in a couple of weeks. He hoped that the new structure would be in place by the time of the next meeting of the Board.

He said that the Balanced Scorecard was still being revised and that the new format would be available at the next meeting. Some performance was down, particularly in relation to transfers in and transfers out. Support was being given to Bristol City Council (BCC) with its voluntary severance programme. Up to 1,000 staff would be leaving BCC before Christmas. Additional work is impacting on day-to-day performance and this would continue for some time. Annual Benefit Statements had been issued to all active and deferred members in accordance with the TPR requirement, where full member data existed. Penalty charges had been imposed on five employers for breaching the deadline for submission of year-end data. There were a further 30 employers who could be issued with a penalty charge, but this would be waived if they undertake training. There were 1400 cases for which complete data was not held. Data for these will be cross-checked with the employers.

The Chair asked whether employers being given training would be required to sign an improvement action plan. The Action Pensions Manager replied that the employers had already signed a service level agreement. The Chair pointed out that the TPR recommends that any employer who makes repeated errors should be required to sign an improvement action plan. He also suggested that employers should be advised that if there was missing data again, they can be reported to TPR for poor performance.

The Acting Pensions Manager spoke about the increase in workload, and said in a reply to a question from the Chair about how he would assess the level risk it posed on the Risk Register that he would rate it “amber”. It was essential to use the Team restructuring to get the right staff in place and to secure better performance from the employers.

The Chair said that accurate data was crucial to the efficient working of the Fund. He commended the progress with the Data Improvement Plan, and said that pressure needed to be put on employers to cooperate. All the funds of which he had knowledge had problems with a minority of employers repeatedly failing to fulfil their obligations, and the APF should focus on those with repeated failures with further action if needed.

RESOLVED

1. To note Performance Indicators and Customer Satisfaction feedback for 3 months to 30 September 2016.

2. To note progress on the Data Improvement Plan.

3. To recommend to the Fund that: