Agenda item

To be presented by Sam Price, Assistant Pensions Administration Manager, Buckinghamshire Council.

S Price Assistant Pensions Administration Manager, Buckinghamshire Council, referred the report circulated with the agenda.

The following points were highlighted:

·    The report covered the period 1 October 2022 to 30 November 2022, Board were asked to note the figures did not cover a full quarter.

·    Incoming communications had increased with a greater number of communications coming through the i-Connect online portal instead of via email.

·    It was highlighted the team were dealing with member queries quickly with the telephone call queue time at an average of 15 seconds. The team answered 99% of calls received.

·    The priority areas turnaround target was over 95% in all areas. This was a slight reduction from 97% in the previous quarter however, the team were up to date with current workflows and were focusing on older overdue cases.

·    There were no areas for concern within administration, the AVCs at retirement cases completed had dropped to 80% however this was a complex area with a small volume of work. There were five cases completed with one case completed outside the ten working days.

The officer highlighted an error on page 31 of the report, the table showing open and overdue cases from opt outs to general queries. The figures showing cases over due and external should be reversed. There was an increase in overdue cases however this was outside the team’s control as delays were due to external causes .

A breakdown of overdue external cases by employer was included in the confidential appendix of the report. The figures for scheme members opting out and moving to the 50/50 option would be included in all quarterly reports. The figures included in the report covered October and November therefore, they did not reflect a whole quarter. There had not been a noticeable increase in opt outs based on the team’s workload.

A member of the Board queried how the number of members choosing to opt out or the 50/50 option compared to previous years. These figures would be included in the administration performance statistics report for the next meeting. It was noted Buckinghamshire Council’s payroll department had seen an increase in the number of members opting out and reducing contributions, this would be monitored closely. It was confirmed if scheme members opt out they would not receive death in service benefits. The opt out guidance issued to scheme members’ stated benefits lost and highlighted the 50/50 option. 

There would be an article in the next employer newsletter to highlight the 50/50 option to members. The scheme advisory board have requested opt out and 50/50 data from all administrative authorities. Members do not need to provide a reason as to why they are opting out. 

A member of the Board highlighted as consumer price index (CPI) was particularly high this would result in an increase in pension payments, could this be mentioned in the employer newsletter. The newsletter could highlight the death in service cover and ill health cover however, whilst CPI was currently high this could change in the future. 

RESOLVED Members of the Board noted the update.