What is the age discrimination remedy (McCloud)?
When the government reformed public sector pension schemes in 2014-15, the regulations included protections for some members who were within 10 years of retirement.
In 2018, at the Court of Appeal, these protections were found to be age discriminatory. Following the cases of McCloud and Sargeant (from the Judges and Firefighters’ schemes), the Government is putting a remedy in place for this age discrimination. This will make sure that pension scheme members receive the best possible benefits from what they have accrued.
The statutory deadline for producing Remediable Service Statements (RSS) for Police and Firefighter pension scheme members impacted by the McCloud remedy was the 31 March 2025, and LPPA has produced 80% of RSS for all eligible members. In real terms, this is equivalent to the production of 5,327 RSS for Active members and 1,138 RSS for Deferred members (for both member groups, the majority were issued with RSS prior to the 31 August 2024), as well as 2,858 Immediate Choice RSS for Retired members.
All RSS were produced and have been made available for members to access in their secure online account (PensionPoint). Printed copies were posted prior to the 31 March 2025 and email notifications were sent to those members for whom we held email addresses.
These numbers are the result of a huge effort from all those involved – including LPPA, the employers we provide pension administration services for, and our systems partner – and positions LPPA in a favourable position, whilst acknowledging that some other administrators across the sector continue to face challenges in producing RSS for their members. There is still work to do, and our immediate priority is to complete production for any members who are not yet in receipt of their RSS.
Communications have been issued to those members who haven’t yet received their RSS to help them understand the reasons for the delay, and work continues at pace in collaborating with employers to obtain the data required to complete pension calculations. We are also working hard to complete cases for Fire members that are subject to the Matthews remedy, and we are waiting for outstanding national guidance required to complete cases for members with a pension sharing order or a previous pension transfer.
LPPA is committed to meeting the 31 August 2025 deadline for completing RSS production for Local Government Pension Scheme members who are eligible for the age discrimination remedy.
Following the high volume of communications which LPPA has issued over recent weeks, we are experiencing an increase in the number of calls into our Contact Centre, which means members may have to wait slightly longer than usual to speak with an adviser. It is also important to note that LPPA is unable to provide members with advice on which option to choose regarding their pension benefits. However, there is a range of online support information available, including Frequently Asked Questions, videos and links to the national Firefighter and Police pension websites on the Firefighter page and Police page of the LPPA website..
For details on how to register for PensionPoint, our secure online account for members, please click here. PensionPoint can be used by members to access important documents and ensure that their contact details are up to date.
Ahead of the statutory 31 March 2025 deadline, where it was in our control to do so, LPPA produced a large number of Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) for active, deferred and retired members impacted by the age discrimination remedy (McCloud) ruling. These documents were uploaded to the members’ secure, online PensionPoint accounts, and copies were also issued in the post. More detail on the numbers and percentage of completed cases are provided in our earlier update on this page.
Any members who were not in receipt of their RSS by the 31 March 2025 deadline, received a letter to acknowledge the delay, which also highlighted the high priority that LPPA is placing on delivering their RSS as soon as possible.
Information to support members impacted by the age discrimination remedy (McCloud) ruling has been included on the LPPA website, including useful links and videos.
Once members have received their RSS, they have 12 months to decide on their benefits option. It is important to note that not all members will be due an uplift in their benefits as a result of remedy, as many will already be in receipt of the most beneficial option available to them.
When a member’s RSS option form has been submitted, LPPA will process their request. Although, it is important to highlight that some members may be required to undertake a medical reassessment (for example, if they retired due to ill health) before LPPA can complete their options request.
For members who elect for a change in benefits, LPPA will confirm when the changes have been implemented and the date of payment.
The production and communication of IC-RSSs will continue for those members who did not receive their options by the 31 March 2025 – such as members who are impacted by outstanding or late national guidance (including those with pension sharing orders, scheme pays cases, and cases where additional data checks are required). For retired firefighters impacted by the Matthews remedy, this must be completed in advance of McCloud remedy.
Remedy update: Police and Firefighter scheme members (6 May 2025)
Having sent out Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) to a significant majority of members affected by the age discrimination remedy (McCloud) ruling, LPPA has received a number of option forms from members who have chosen to make changes to their existing pension benefits. These forms are currently being reviewed.
We know how important it is to resolve these requests quickly, but due to the complexity of the process it will take longer than normal to make these payment adjustments. Our priority is to make sure the final calculations are correct and that members receive their money as soon as possible.
Our aim is to start processing these requests from July 2025 with additional interest included in the final payments to cover any delays. We will notify members when their benefit adjustments have been made and are ready to be paid. In the meantime, all existing pension benefits will continue to be paid as normal until requests have been processed
Members waiting to receive an RSS
LPPA is continuing to produce RSSs for those members who did not receive their RSS by the 31 March 2025. This includes members who are impacted by outstanding or late national guidance (such as those with pension sharing orders), scheme pays cases, and cases where additional data checks are required.
As well as producing outstanding RSSs and processing options forms, we are also now processing Matthews remedy requests for retired firefighters. Members who are impacted by the Matthews remedy are likely to have experienced delays, as their Matthews remedy must be completed before we can start their McCloud remedy.
Financial advice
As the scheme administrator, LPPA isn’t regulated to provide financial advice, but we encourage members to consider their options carefully and where appropriate, speak to an independent financial adviser. A list of financial advisers can be found at www.unbiased.co.uk
Existing pension benefits
All existing pension benefits will continue to be paid as normal until any remedy adjustments are made. We will notify members when the changes have been made and confirm the final payments, including any interest that may be due.
