Who is at fault here?

NannaH

Well HL have emailed me to say that they haven’t received any paperwork at all from my lgps so god knows what’s gone on.  

Looks like lgps are playing silly buggers.  They don’t answer the phone so email ping pong is the only way apparently.  

xylophone

Their role involves dealing with transfers to registered pension schemes. 

But see 

https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/pensions-and-retirement/pensions-basics/self-invested-personal-pensions

Is a SIPP a registered pension scheme?

Yes, SIPPs have been registered pensions since 2006.

I have to say it would seem to me quite extraordinary if an LGPS administrator dealing with transfers out had never come across the abbreviation. 

Silvertabby

Suspect that there is more than one factor/problem at work here.  Despite the low value (in pensionspeak) of the transfer, it is still a transfer from a public sector DB scheme and so subject to an extremely low factor.  Less than 20X the pension given up is likely, and decent private pension funds are still wary of being landed with a complaint even when dealing with a transfer value of less than £30K.

Looks like OP is going to investigate the possibility of a <£10K small pot trivial commutation.  This is called a de minimas trivial commutation and, although allowed within the LGPS regs, not all schemes have opted do it.  If de minimas is an option, then, depending on her age, the payment MAY be more than the transfer CETV as there is a transfer factor for the member's pension plus a lesser factor for spouse's benefits (even if not married).   Further note that she would have had to have left/deferred AFTER 1 April 2008 to be even eligible for de minimas. 

I can't believe that any LGPS administrator dealing with transfers out, regardless of how junior, hasn't heard of a SIPP.  Possible that delays have been caused by working from home?  I know from speaking to one of my ex colleagues that they still aren't all working  in the office, and that the home workers don't always get their work allocation in a timely manner.  On top of that, they are still working on catching up on a huge backlog, and are strictly prioritising the workload.  ie, deaths and retirement pension come first, transfers out are some way down the list. 

NannaH

It’s very helpful to know the correct term Silvertabby, thank you. 

It might be complicated by there being 2 different councils involved,  one scheme was for around 18 months with the City council, I left in 2006 and it’s £2500,   the other, for 4 years was with the Borough council,  I left in 2010 and it’s £6000. 

Silvertabby

NannaH said:

It’s very helpful to know the correct term Silvertabby, thank you. 

It might be complicated by there being 2 different councils involved,  one scheme was for around 18 months with the City council, I left in 2006 and it’s £2500,   the other, for 4 years was with the Borough council,  I left in 2010 and it’s £6000. 

Ah, that does complicate things, and could very well explain the delay.  Your options re your first pension are only a transfer out or take a tiny pension from the LGPS.  Your second LGPS may then refuse to pay a de minimas lump sum because you have more than one record, leaving you, again, with the options of a transfer out or a monthly pension.

Have you asked for current pension quotes from them?  Although they will be small, they will be guaranteed and fully index linked.

xylophone

I notice that mention of "de minimis" is made here in this lengthy document from Shropshire LGPS 

https://shropshirecountypensionfund.co.uk/media/1689/retoptriv-full-retirement-process-notes-with-trivial-commutation-option-jan21.pdf

1. What are my options in the LGPS?

   In the LGPS, it may be possible for you to take a lump sum under the ‘de minimis’ rules even if the trivial commutation rules described above haven’t been met. However, this option isn’t available if you’re taking payment of deferred pension benefits from leaving the LGPS before 1 April 2008.

Silvertabby

xylophone said:

I notice that mention of "de minimis" is made here in this lengthy document from Shropshire LGPS 

https://shropshirecountypensionfund.co.uk/media/1689/retoptriv-full-retirement-process-notes-with-trivial-commutation-option-jan21.pdf

1. What are my options in the LGPS?

   In the LGPS, it may be possible for you to take a lump sum under the ‘de minimis’ rules even if the trivial commutation rules described above haven’t been met. However, this option isn’t available if you’re taking payment of deferred pension benefits from leaving the LGPS before 1 April 2008.

Unfortunately, that rules out the first post which the OP left in 2006.  The only way round this would be if the second LGPS accepted a transfer in - but as OP has left that post as well that's unlikely.