Subscribe to updates
You'll receive weekly summaries about Cornwall Council every week.
If you have any requests or comments please let us know at community@opencouncil.network. We can also provide custom updates on particular topics across councils.
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service Local Pension Board - Tuesday, 6th May, 2025 2.00 pm
May 6, 2025 View on council websiteSummary
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service Local Pension Board met on Tuesday, 6th May, 2025, to discuss a business update, which included membership movements, bulletins from the Local Government Association (LGA) regarding Firefighters' Pension Schemes (FPS), the schemes' risk register and breaches log, an update on appeals, and other business issues. The agenda also included apologies for absence, declarations of interest, and the minutes of the meeting held on 28 January 2025.
Business Update
The Local Pension Board was scheduled to receive a business update to assist with complying with governance responsibilities under the Public Service Pensions Act 2013.
The business update included:
- Membership movements in the firefighters’ pension schemes for the quarter ending 31 March 2025.
- LGA FPS Bulletins.
- Firefighters’ Pension Schemes Risk Register.
- Firefighters’ Pension Schemes Breaches Log.
- Firefighters’ Pension Schemes Complaints log.
- Update on any ongoing appeals going through the Internal Disputes Resolution Procedure (IDRP).
- Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) Finance update.
- Any other business issues.
The report pack included a recommendation that:
the members of the Board note the update provided within this Business Update report and seek from officers such clarifications or further assurance as they require.
Membership Movements
The report pack included details of membership statistics for the Cornwall Firefighters Pension Scheme (legacy schemes) as at 31 March 2025, and for the 2015 Firefighters Pension Scheme as at 31st March 2025. It also included membership statistics for the Council of the Isles of Scilly Firefighters Pension Schemes.
LGA FPS Bulletins
The report pack included links to the LGA FPS bulletins issued since the last Local Pension Board meeting. These bulletins were circulated to the board members when they were published.
The bulletins included:
- Bulletin 89 – January 2025
- Bulletin 90 – February 2025
- Bulletin 91 – March 2025
The report pack summarised the actions arising from each bulletin for scheme managers, administrators and Local Pension Boards.
Risk Register
The report pack included the current Risk Register for the Firefighters’ Pension schemes for the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Local Pension Board. A new risk, Risk 23, had been added to the Risk Register since the last meeting in January, regarding the implementation and connection to the Pensions Dashboards ecosystem1.
Breaches Register
The report pack included an updated register of breaches of the law applicable to the management and administration of the fund.
The report pack noted that at the Local Pension Board meeting held in October 2024, a breach of the regulations relating to the late production and distribution of the Annual Benefit Statements for the 2024 scheme year was reported.
The report pack also noted that the statutory deadline to provide a Remedial Service Statement (RSS) by 31st March 2025 had been missed for certain categories of members.
Complaints Log
The report pack included details of any complaints received by the Pension Benefits Team from firefighter pension scheme members, including a brief summary of the complaint and details of the resolution. Since the last Local Pension Board meeting there had been three complaints, all from ex-retained firefighters who are eligible for the Matthews Second Options exercise2.
Internal Disputes Resolution Procedure
The report pack included an update on any ongoing appeals going through the Internal Disputes Resolution Procedure (IDRP). Since the last Local Pension Board meeting there had been one appeal under the IDRP process, from an ex-firefighter who had initially been excluded from the Matthews Second Options exercise.
CFRS Finance
The report pack included an update from CFRS Finance, including an update on the HMRC Audit and Age Discrimination Remedy Pensions Compensation Payments.
Other Business Issues
The report pack also included updates on:
- Age Discrimination Remedy (McCloud/Sargeant)3
- Matthews Second Options Exercise
- Secondary Contracts
- Pensions Increase for 2025
- Pensions Dashboards Programme
-
Pension dashboards are online platforms designed to provide individuals with a comprehensive view of their pension savings, including their State Pension, all in one place. ↩
-
The Matthews Second Options exercise allows retained firefighters employed between 1 July 2000 and 5 April 2006 to join the FPS 2006 with retrospective effect to 1 July 2000. ↩
-
In 2015, the government introduced new laws which resulted in a new pension scheme for firefighters - the Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 (FPS 2015) being introduced. Following a legal challenge known as Sargeant, the courts determined that the protections given to members were age discriminatory. These pension scheme changes are commonly referred to as ‘McCloud’, which is after the Judges McCloud judgement, or ‘Sargeant’, which is after the Firefighters’ Sargeant judgement. ↩
Attendees
Meeting Documents
Agenda
Reports Pack
Additional Documents