The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service Local Pension Board was scheduled to convene on Tuesday, 5th May 2026. The meeting's agenda included a business update concerning the administration of firefighters' pension schemes, a review of membership statistics, updates on various pension-related exercises and regulations, and a discussion of the Firefighters' Pension Schemes Risk Register and Breaches Log.

Business Update

A business update was planned to detail ongoing and future administrative issues related to the Firefighters' Pension Schemes for Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) and Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service. This update was intended to assist the Board members in fulfilling their governance responsibilities under the Public Service Pensions Act 2013.

The report was expected to cover several key areas:

• Membership Statistics: An overview of membership movements within the firefighters' pension schemes for the quarter ending 31st March 2026 was scheduled for discussion. This included statistics for the 1992, 2006, and 2015 Firefighters' Pension Schemes, as well as for the Council of the Isles of Scilly Firefighters' Pension Schemes. The report noted that all active firefighters' pension scheme members had moved into the 2015 scheme on 1st April 2022.

• LGA FPS Bulletins: The Board was set to review bulletins issued by the Local Government Association (LGA) Firefighters' Pension Scheme (FPS) in January, February, and March 2026. These bulletins contained updates and actions required for scheme managers and administrators, including guidance on training and development, updated templates for reporting, and information on the Matthews exercise and the Age Discrimination Remedy.

• Firefighters' Pension Schemes Risk Register: The report was to include the comprehensive Risk Register for the Firefighters' Pension schemes, which had been approved in February 2017 and was to be a standing item. No new risks had been added since the last meeting, but additional information was to be provided for Risk 14 and Risk 16 concerning the move to monthly data collection. Risk 23, related to the Pensions Dashboard Programme, was to be removed following successful connection by the statutory deadline.

• Firefighters' Pension Schemes Breaches Log: An updated Breaches Register was to be presented, detailing any breaches of regulations related to the management and administration of the Fund. A significant breach noted was the late production and distribution of Annual Benefit Statements (ABS) for the 2025 scheme year for members affected by the Age Discrimination Remedy. This breach was to be reported to The Pensions Regulator.

• Firefighters' Pension Schemes Complaints Log: The Board was to be informed of any complaints received by the Pension Benefits Team from firefighter pension scheme members. A complaint from an ex-retained firefighter eligible for the Matthews Second Options exercise, relating to delays in receiving their initial offer package, was to be highlighted.

• Internal Disputes Resolution Procedure (IDRP): An update was scheduled on any ongoing appeals through the IDRP process. One new appeal under stage 2 of the IDRP process was to be received, concerning the application of remedy under the Secondary Contract provisions. A second stage 2 appeal also related to the application of remedy under Secondary Contract provisions was also to be with the FRA for a response.

• CFRS Finance Update: An update from CFRS Finance was to be provided, including information on Home Office reimbursement for Age Discrimination Remedy Pensions Compensation Payments and the completion of Home Office pensions account forecasting.

• Age Discrimination Remedy (McCloud/Sargeant): The report was to detail the background and implications of the Age Discrimination Remedy, stemming from the McCloud and Sargeant court cases. It was to explain the changes to remove future and past discrimination, including the transfer of members to the Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 (FPS 2015) and the roll back of benefits for the remedy period. The report was to note that further guidance was awaited from the LGA and Home Office for certain cases.

• Matthews Second Options Exercise: An update was to be provided on the ongoing Matthews Second Options Exercise, which allows eligible retained firefighters to purchase pension entitlement as a special member of the FPS 2006. The report was to indicate that substantial progress had been made, but a significant volume of cases remained outstanding. The original deadline for the exercise had been extended, with a new fixed end date anticipated.

• Secondary Contracts: An issue concerning the administration of contracts for Wholetime firefighters who had undertaken On Call duties under a secondary contract was to be discussed. This involved a challenge arguing that these should be treated as a single contract of employment, requiring rectification work to correct payroll and pension records.

The report was also to include appendices detailing the Firefighters' Pension Schemes Risk Register, Breaches Log, and a highlight report for the Matthews Second Options Exercise. The recommendation was for the members of the Board to note the update and seek further clarification from officers as required.