The Newham Pensions Board was scheduled to convene on Monday 12 January 2026 to review updates on pension administration performance, legislative changes impacting the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), and the progress of employer admissions to the fund. The meeting's agenda included detailed reports on the performance of the Local Pension Partnership Administration (LPPA), updates from the Pensions Committee, and a review of the employer admission process.

LPPA Performance Update

The Board was scheduled to receive a comprehensive update on the performance of the Local Pension Partnership Administration (LPPA) for the second quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, covering July to September 2025. This report, detailed in the Administration Performance Update January 2026, was expected to cover key performance indicators such as casework Service Level Agreement (SLA) performance, contact centre operations, and member satisfaction scores. The report indicated that overall casework performance was 98.6% against SLAs, with contact centre wait times averaging 3 minutes and 32 seconds. Member satisfaction scores for retirement experiences were noted, with a significant number of surveys not being completed. The report also highlighted progress on statutory deadlines, including the delivery of Annual Benefit Statements (ABS) with the McCloud underpin included. Specific project updates were anticipated regarding the McCloud Remedy, with LPPA reporting progress in delivering remedy statements, and the Pensions Dashboard, where a short delay in connection was noted but not considered a material risk. The Efficiency and Service Improvement Programme (ESIP) was also to be discussed, focusing on automation and improved self-service capabilities.

Pension Committee Update

The Board was scheduled to receive an update from the Pensions Committee meeting held on 10 December 2025. This update, as outlined in the Printed minutes 10122025 1830 Pensions Committee, was expected to cover discussions on the administration of the Newham Pension Fund, including legislative changes, administration performance, and updates from the Local Pension Board. Key topics for discussion were anticipated to include consultations on gender pension gap reporting, death grant age and payment limits, and the potential increase in the minimum pension age. The possibility of allowing councillors to rejoin the LGPS as members was also on the agenda, with considerations for potential impacts on council budgets and individual member benefits. The need for a training strategy for Board and Committee members was emphasised, alongside discussions on risk management for outsourced services. The update was also expected to touch upon the growth in registrations for Pension Point, the self-service member portal, and progress in reducing historic outstanding employer cases.

Administration Update

A detailed update on pension administration and legislative changes impacting the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) was scheduled for discussion, as detailed in the Pension Administration and Legislative Update Board Jan 26. This report was expected to provide background on the McCloud judgement, which addressed age discrimination in public service pension schemes, and the latest developments in its implementation. It was noted that further work was required by LPPA to validate member data before making retrospective payments. The report was also to cover the Pensions Dashboard project, explaining the government's initiative to allow individuals to access their pension information online. Technical issues with LPPA's database supplier, Civica, were mentioned as a reason for not meeting the initial public sector connection deadline of 31 October 2025, though no security failure was identified. Consultations on amendment regulations for the LGPS were also to be discussed, focusing on proposals to improve scheme fairness and access, including increasing the minimum pension age and re-opening the scheme to elected mayors and councillors. The report was also to provide an update on the 2025 Triennial Actuarial Valuation, confirming the fund was over 100% funded, which could lead to reduced employer contribution rates.

Employer Admission Update

The Board was scheduled to review the progress made in formally admitting employers to the Newham Pension Fund, as detailed in the Employer Admission Update. This report followed a previous update in November 2024, which identified 12 employers who had commenced contracts over six months prior without formal admission. An action plan was presented to expedite the conclusion of these cases and identify any further outstanding admissions. The report indicated that an additional 17 admissions were being progressed, and four outstanding admissions had been concluded since the October 2025 report. The report was expected to detail the types of employers within the fund, including Scheduled Bodies and Admitted Bodies, and explain the requirements for Admission Agreements. The reasons for the backlog of outstanding admissions were to be discussed, including issues with timely notification of new contracts, the cessation of LPPA's co-ordinating function for admissions prior to April 2021, insufficient internal controls, and difficulties for new employers in obtaining proportionate bonds or guarantors. The impact of this backlog on cash flow, members, and potential regulatory action from The Pension Regulator (TPR) was also to be outlined. An update on actions taken since October 2025 was to be provided, including the approval of an updated Admissions policy and the drafting of a revised Admission Agreement.