The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service Local Pension Board met on Tuesday 5 May 2026 to discuss a business update concerning the Firefighters' Pension Schemes. The Board noted the update provided and sought further clarification from officers.

Business Update

The Board received a comprehensive business update on the administration of the Firefighters' Pension Schemes for Cornwall FRS and Isles of Scilly FRS for the quarter ending 31 March 2026. The report detailed membership movements, updates from the Local Government Association (LGA) Firefighters' Pension Scheme bulletins, the Firefighters' Pension Schemes Risk Register, Breaches Log, Complaints Log, and progress on ongoing appeals through the Internal Disputes Resolution Procedure (IDRP).

Key issues highlighted included the significant workload associated with the McCloud Age Discrimination Remedy and the Matthews Second Options exercise. The report noted that the addition of Remedial Service Statements to Annual Benefit Statements had proven problematic due to its technical nature and the increased workload, leading to a risk of confusion among scheme members and potential future claims. An increase in complaints was also reported, stemming from confusion over the Matthews Exercise and delays in providing benefit and contribution details.

The Board was informed about the ongoing work related to the Firefighters' Pension Schemes Risk Register, with no new risks added since the last meeting. However, additional information was included for Risks 14 and 16 concerning the move to monthly collection of active membership data. Risk 23, related to the Pensions Dashboard Programme, was removed following successful connection by the statutory deadline.

A breach of regulations was identified concerning the late production and distribution of Annual Benefit Statements for the 2025 scheme year for members affected by the Age Discrimination Remedy. These statements were required to include additional information known as Remedy Service Statements. The report stated that this breach had been reported to The Pensions Regulator and affected active and deferred firefighter members in both Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly FRAs. The Board was assured that work was ongoing with the software provider to produce these statements.

The report also detailed an update on appeals going through the Internal Disputes Resolution Procedure (IDRP), with one new appeal received relating to a secondary contract issue. The Board was informed that the appeal was still under consideration and a detailed response would be presented at the next meeting.

Updates were also provided on the CFRS Finance, including reimbursement of Age Discrimination Remedy Pensions Compensation Payments by the Home Office and the completion of Home Office Pensions account forecasting.

The Board noted the significant ongoing work related to the Age Discrimination Remedy (McCloud/Sargeant) and the Matthews Second Options Exercise, both of which involved complex calculations and a high volume of work for the administration teams. The report also touched upon issues identified with the administration of secondary contracts for Wholetime firefighters who had undertaken On Call duties, noting that work was underway to rectify these records and ensure fair treatment for all firefighters.

The Board resolved to note the update provided within the Business Update report and to seek further clarifications or assurances from officers as required.