The Pensions Committee of Shropshire Council met on Friday 19 June 2026 to review pensions administration, governance, and corporate governance. The meeting's agenda included updates on the Pensions Administration Monitoring Report, a Governance Report, and a Corporate Governance Monitoring Report.

Pensions Administration Monitoring

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the performance and issues affecting the Pensions Administration Team. This included a review of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), with a focus on those not meeting the 95% target and the actions being taken to address them. The report also detailed progress on projects such as Annual Benefit Statements and Pension Dashboards, alongside information on regulatory changes impacting the team's work. The report highlighted that 10 out of 14 KPIs were achieving at least 95% completion within legal time limits. Staffing changes within the administration team were also noted, including retirements, promotions, and new appointments to manage increased workloads. Communications statistics from the helpdesk team were presented, showing a high percentage of calls answered and contact forms responded to within 10 working days. The accuracy of the Penny the Pensions Bot was reported as 76% over the year, with ongoing efforts to improve its responses. Employer performance regarding timely submissions and contributions was also detailed, with an average of 95% for i-Connect submissions, 98% for contributions, and 93% for lump sum deficit payments over the year. Project updates included the completion of the fund's business plan for 2025/26, progress on the Pension Dashboards project, and the application of annual pension increases. Regulatory updates concerning the Access and Fairness scheme changes, effective from 1 April 2026, were also scheduled for discussion.

Governance

The committee was set to review the Governance Report, which detailed regulatory breaches recorded in the breaches log between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. The report indicated no materially significant breaches requiring reporting to the Pensions Regulator. Four Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure (IDRP) cases were received and completed within this period, all relating to decisions not to pay pension benefits on ill-health grounds. Several fund policies were reviewed and updated for approval, including the Conflicts of Interest Policy, Data Retention Policy, Data Improvement Strategy and Workplan 2025-27, and the Communication Policy. The report also outlined the necessary actions in response to updated governance requirements from the Fit for the Future regulatory changes, including timelines for pool standards, strategy development, and the appointment of key roles such as an LGPS Senior Officer and an Independent Person. A training needs analysis for Committee and Board members was also to be discussed.

Corporate Governance Monitoring

The Corporate Governance Monitoring Report was scheduled to inform members of corporate governance changes, including the government's response to the Scheme Advisory Board's request for clarification on investments in conflict zones. It also covered a review of socially responsible investment issues arising in the quarter from 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2026. The report detailed actions taken by the Fund's key stewardship partners, including LGPS Central, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, and the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF). The government's response to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign's challenge regarding investments in conflict areas was to be presented, reiterating that decisions on boycotts, divestment, and sanctions are matters of UK foreign policy for central government. Updates on the Pensions Bill 2026, which gained royal assent on 29 April, were also included, formalising recommendations from the Fit for the Future consultation. This included information on the expansion of LGPS Central to cover 14 funds and changes to investment strategy publication deadlines. The report also highlighted requirements for knowledge and skills compliance, the appointment of an LGPS Senior Officer and an Independent Person, and the process for independent governance reviews.

The meeting also included a training session on Understanding the Accounting and Audit Regulations immediately after the main meeting, presented by Mr Jonathan Perera of Mercer.