Local Government Pension Scheme Employers
Each Local Government Pension Scheme Employer has a legal responsibility to provide accurate data to us. You must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the data provided to us is correct before you submit it to us.
The data received via data files forms the basis of each Member’s pension pot which is accrued month on month until the Member leaves the Scheme.
On leaving the Scheme, the data provided on the leaver form will determine the final benefit awarded to the Member.
LPPA will only check the data provided to us for reasonableness against the data we already hold, and if appropriate will query inconsistencies with you.
However, LPPA will not undertake a detailed check of individual calculations or all entries on the data files.
The responsibility for accurate and complete data submissions lies with you as the employing authority and you should therefore ensure that you have relevant controls in place to ensure the correct provision of data.
If you provide incorrect data, we may quote or pay incorrect benefits, the consequences of which could lead to complaints, appeals and recalculations, reputational damage etc.
If you become aware that you have submitted incorrect data, you must immediately let us know (if we are not already aware).
We would also expect you to investigate the cause of the error, take appropriate action to avoid recurrence, and provide an update to us.
If it appears to us that any Employer is failing to take reasonable care in supplying data to us, The Fund reserves the right to recover from the Employer any resulting additional costs incurred.
Where an employer provides incorrect data, the Fund may be required to report the breach to the Pensions Regulator where the breach is assessed to be of material significance to the Regulator.
When assessing materiality, consideration will be given to the –
- cause of the breach,
- effect of the breach,
- reaction to the breach, and
- wider implications of the breach.
There are other responsibilities under the LGPS which are described in your administering authorities Pensions Administration Strategy Statement. Please speak to your Fund for further information.