The Civic Affairs Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider the implications of extending membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme to councillors. The committee was also due to review charging policies, the usage of committee rooms, and applications for hospitality.

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Extension to Councillors

A joint report from the Deputy Town Clerk and the Chamberlain outlined the implications of legislative changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) that would allow councillors in England to become members of the LGPS in respect of their elected office from 11 May 2026. The report indicated that these changes would mean that basic or special responsibility allowances paid to members would be treated as pensionable.

The report clarified that these changes did not automatically apply to the City of London Corporation and that it was open to the Corporation to decide whether to opt-in. The Civic Affairs Sub-Committee was asked to provide its initial view on whether the City of London Corporation should opt-in, noting that this would have budgetary implications due to the need to provide employer contributions. A recommendation was made for the Sub-Committee to note the changes and decide whether the City of London Corporation should choose to apply these to the Members Allowance Scheme, with a further report on budgetary implications to follow if the decision was to opt-in.

The report detailed that the City Corporation's Member Financial Support Policy includes a Members' Allowance Scheme (MAS), which was introduced in July 2021 to enhance diversity and ensure that prospective candidates are not deterred from standing for election due to prohibitive costs. The MAS was updated in July and October 2024, with the maximum limit increased to £9,000 per annum. Since April 2025, an average of 105 Members have claimed from the MAS monthly.

The LGPS is a defined benefits public service pension scheme. The new regulations, the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (Elected Member Pensions) Regulations 2026, would require employer contributions of 20% based on the City Corporation's current rate. Based on the average number of claimants, this was estimated to be approximately £190,000 per annum, with a provision for all 125 Members equating to £225,000 per annum. The report outlined potential options for funding these costs, including increasing the budgetary allocation for the MAS, offsetting costs by reducing spend in other areas of Member privileges, or decreasing the basic allowance to accommodate the pension contributions.

Charging Review 2026

The Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider a report from the Remembrancer regarding the Charging Review 2026. This item was listed for decision in the non-public session.

Usage of Committee Rooms – Approved Users

A report from the Remembrancer was scheduled for discussion concerning the usage of committee rooms and a list of approved users. This item was also designated for decision in the non-public session.

Applications for Hospitality

The agenda included a discussion on applications for hospitality, with a specific report on Application A from the Remembrancer. This was also a matter for decision in the non-public session.

Several other items were scheduled for information only, including updates on the City Corporation's wine store, evaluations of committee hospitality and City-hosted events, events benefiting from no user charge, forthcoming committee of Court events, a summary of committed hospitality funding, final accounts for various receptions, and a delegated authority report. These items were to be taken without discussion unless a member had prior questions.