Issue - meetings

Purpose:  To provide Committee Members with updated Administration and Communication Strategies for approval.

(a)          The Committee considered and approved the proposed amendments to the Administration and Communication Strategies, subject to consultation with stakeholders.

(b)          The Committee delegated any final minor changes, following consultation, to be made by the Clwyd Pension Fund Manager and Pensions Administration Manager, with any more substantive changes being brought back to Committee for consideration.

                      Mrs Williams presented the draft strategies and stated that the Fund has 43 employers with active members and c47,000 scheme members. The aim of the strategies is to ensure that all parties are aware of their responsibilities, and there is clarity on what is to be achieved including such as having KPI’s in place. The administration strategy sets out a more formal approach for when employers do not carry out their responsibilities, so it is clear for the administration team what the process of escalation is.

            On page 275, Mrs Williams highlighted the two key changes, the first being the number of days that the team have to respond to starter forms. This has changed from 15 working days to 30 working days from the receipt of all information. This is due to the transition to iConnect, as the data is now received in much larger quantities on a monthly basis. The second change is the completion of the employer compliance declaration. This is outlined on page 290 and will now be embedded in the administration strategy.

Mrs Williams explained that the proposed changes to the communication strategy are highlighted throughout the document. It was confirmed that members do not need to communicate via MSS, as they can opt to continue with paper communications.

            Mrs Williams highlighted that there is an online training module which is a useful tool where CPF staff members can learn about the LGPS and current regulation updates. Feedback is received from the tool and staff need to gain full understanding of each element before they can move onto the next level.

            Mr Pumford noted that there may be members who do not own a computer and queried if it is possible the Fund may lose contact with those members. Mrs Williams confirmed that the Fund wrote out to all members and noted they still have the option to call the Fund. There are still lots of calls coming through and it is a great way to communicate to the members.   It was also confirmed that paper form is still acceptable but still the proposed strategy is to move to more digital communication where possible.

Mr Hibbert highlighted a small grammar error in the administration strategy which Mrs Williams confirmed she would change.

RESOLVED:

(a)  The Committee considered and approved the proposed amendments to the Administration and Communication Strategies, subject to consultation with stakeholders.

(b)  The Committee delegated any final minor changes, following consultation, to be made by the Clwyd Pension Fund Manager and Pensions Administration Manager, with any more substantive changes being brought back to Committee for consideration.