The Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Fire Pension Scheme Board met to discuss performance data from the West Yorkshire Pension Fund, current issues affecting the Fire Pension Scheme, and updates to the Fire Pension Board Plan. The board was also scheduled to receive updates from the Fire Pension Officers' Group and the Scheme Advisory Board, as well as reviewing recent Fire Pensions Scheme bulletins.

Current Issues

Tony Kavanagh, HR Advisor to the Board, was scheduled to provide an update on several current issues. These included:

• Six Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures (IDRPs) received since the last meeting.
• One reported breach regarding a missed statutory deadline for remedial service statements.
• Information on the 626 active members, 335 deferred members and 112 pension members.
• The Sergeant McCloud & Age Discrimination Remedy¹:
  • 473 individuals in scope.
  • 186 in scope for the Matthews second options exercise.
  • 19 retirements completed since October 2024: 11 chose legacy, 4 chose reformed, and 4 deferred, with 8 retirements ongoing.
• The Matthews Second Options Exercise:
  • 716 individuals in scope.
  • 387 requested cost of buyback; 26 declined; 303 were yet to respond.
  • 121 received figures; 95 returned paperwork.
  • West Yorkshire were processing both new and current pensioners, with a current processing time of 3 months, and plans to speed up the process.
• A progress update on the Pension Dashboard roll out, which was anticipated to be connected by October 2025.

Performance Data

The board was scheduled to receive an update from the West Yorkshire Pension Fund (WYPF) on pension administration performance. According to the Public Reports Pack, most Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were achieving targets, but the KPI for deferred benefits setup on leaving was delayed due to prioritising other work, as this workstream did not impact member entitlements. Web portal registrations for the pension portal were gradually increasing month by month. Rollback of member records under the Matthews remedy was underway, though Lincolnshire County Council's (LCC's) records had not yet been rolled back. A spot check exercise to analyse data discrepancies with GAD² was confirmed.

Fire Pension Board Plan

William Dziadkiewicz, Employee Representative and Chair, was scheduled to provide an update on the Fire Pension Board Plan. The Public Reports Pack included the Board's Action Plan, Training Record and Risk Register. It was noted that the TPR³ Public Service Governance & Administration Survey was still due, and an update would be presented at the next meeting. Councillor A McGonigle was a new member of the Board, and training details would be made available for him. Paul Brown, Employee Representative, updated the Board that he had completed the online training and was registered to attend the training course in September. The risk register was reviewed, and no changes to current positions were suggested.

Fire Pensions Scheme Bulletins

Tony Kavanagh, HR Advisor to the Board, was scheduled to present a report on recent Fire Pensions Scheme bulletins. According to the Public Reports Pack, these included:

• FPS Bulletin 91 (March 2025): Contribution rates and bandings for the fire pension scheme will remain unchanged for the year 2025–2026.
• FPS Bulletin 92 (April 2025): Guidance had been removed concerning the review of legislation regarding who is eligible to reinstate previously opted-out service into the 1992 Fire Pension Scheme, which was impacting some cases. Further confirmation and updates from the Home Office were awaited.

Fire Pension Officers' Group

Tony Kavanagh, HR Advisor to the Board, was scheduled to provide an update on the last meeting of the Fire Pension Officers' Group. The Public Reports Pack noted that the group met on 4 June 2025. The LGA confirmed ongoing discussions with the Home Office about legislative gaps related to contingent issues. There were no new updates regarding the Matthew Second Options Exercise being confirmed in legislation, or proposed changes to member contributions. Concerns were raised about adjusting contribution bands, which would require payroll software updates, and managing retirements for individuals affected by both Sargeant and Matthews cases. The complexity of rules and timing of events was causing confusion and inconsistencies in pension communications, and it was noted that members will likely need extra support to understand their options due to the complexity and evolving nature of the situation.

Update from Scheme Advisory Board

The West Yorkshire Pension Fund (WYPF) was scheduled to report updates from the Scheme Advisory Board. According to the Public Reports Pack, key updates included:

• The Scheme Advisory Board Meeting was held on 19 March 2025.
• Verbal updates were received on the member contribution consultation and Matthews consultation.
• GAD provided progress on the 2024 valuation and outlined support to authorities for the Matthews and Sargeant cases.
• The LGA shared recent staffing changes, including the recruitment of more administration support staff.
• Redesign of the FPS member website was underway.