The Hertfordshire Fire Pension Board met on Friday 9 October 2026 to review the pension fund's risk register, discuss performance reports, and receive updates on several key pension remedy and scheme review items. Decisions made included noting the pension fund risk register report, approving the Q1 LPPA performance report, and noting progress on the McCloud remedy, the Matthews remedy, and the compensation scheme review.

Pension Fund Risk Register Report

The Board reviewed the pension fund risk register for the period 1 April to 30 June 2026. The report highlighted that only one risk, E1: Poor administration, including failure/delays in implementing regulatory changes, remained above the tolerated risk threshold. This was attributed to ongoing delays with the McCloud remedy. Councillor Darren, a member of the Board, raised concerns about whether the register adequately reflected the potential risks associated with the devolution of the fire service from local government reform. It was confirmed that devolution would be added to the register, and a risk workshop was scheduled for 5 November to further review external risks. Peter Hill, a Board member, noted that data governance issues, exacerbated by the SCAPE superannuation contributions, were unlikely to be resolved quickly. The Board voted to review and note the content of the report.

Hertfordshire FPS Q1 2026/27 LPPA Performance Report

Scott McRale, presenting the quarter one report, highlighted that overall operational casework performance was 99% against Service Level Agreements (SLAs). He noted that the SCAPE rate changes, announced on 19 May 2026, had a significant impact, requiring substantial system updates and communications regarding retirement cases. The contact centre performance remained strong, with an average wait time of 2 minutes and 21 seconds. Member satisfaction scores for the contact centre were 75% for overall satisfaction and 80% for individual agent satisfaction, though volumes were low. The report also detailed progress on issuing Immediate Choice Remedial Service Statements (IC-RSS), with 88.1% issued for pensioners. Engagement with online resources showed Pension Point registrations at 62% for pensioner members, 54% for deferred members, and 70.6% for active members. The online calculator had been temporarily removed due to the SCAPE rate changes and was undergoing testing for reintroduction. The Board voted to note and comment on the report.

Report on Age Discrimination and Remedy

Rachel Wilson provided an update on the McCloud age discrimination remedy. Active retirements were largely being processed as business as usual (BAU), with 44 cases having gone through the process since October 2022. There were small numbers of contingent decision claims awaiting timelines from LPPA for processing. Outstanding Immediate Choice Remedial Service Statements (IC-RSS) stood at 14, with the majority being for protected members. Payments to pensioners who had submitted election forms were nearing completion. The Board voted to note the report.

Report on Second Options Exercise for Retained Firefighters

Rachel Wilson also presented an update on the Matthews remedy. The project was progressing well, with 190 expressions of interest forms received, 180 of which requested a quote. Of the quotes issued, 160 had been sent out, with 17 remaining to be issued, five of which required manual quotes from GAD. The deadline for the project is the end of March 2027. Pensioner members who had elected were being passed to LPPA for payment, with a small number still to be paid. The report also detailed the progress on Matthews amendments, identifying 38 members in scope, but noted that a new GAD calculator was needed to process all cases, pushing some into early 2027. The Board voted to note the report.

Report on Compensation Scheme Review

Rachel Wilson provided an update on the LGA's review of the Firefighters' Compensation Scheme. The review identified strong support for modernising the scheme to reflect the current role of firefighters and address emerging risks, including mental health and long-latency occupational illnesses. There was also support for updating outdated terminology and addressing inequities between retained and whole-time firefighters. The LGA submitted over 90 recommendations to MHCLG for consideration. The Board was informed that no decisions had yet been made regarding future changes to the scheme, and any changes would require further policy development and formal consultation. The Board voted to note the report.

The meeting also confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting held on 20 July 2026 and noted the dates of future meetings.