Another LGPS pension transfer question - historic

leosayer

My wife has been waiting for a response to a question asked to her current employer, a local authority. She has chased but it's been some time so I wonder if anyone here knows the answer or can confirm whether we need to follow up.

Here's the facts:

From Dec 1990 to Oct 2000 my wife was employed at the Housing Corporation. Hants Pension Service (current administrator) confirmed that the pension was transferred to her new employer (local authority) in Sep 2003.

My wife started employment with the local authority in July 2003 and still working there now, however her LGPS statement say that she joined the scheme in May 1997.

In summary,  we'd like to confirm that her accrued LGPS pension correctly reflects the value of the transfer. include related benefits such as the 85 year rule.

hyubh

leosayer said:

My wife has been waiting for a response to a question asked to her current employer, a local authority. She has chased but it's been some time so I wonder if anyone here knows the answer or can confirm whether we need to follow up.

Here's the facts:

From Dec 1990 to Oct 2000 my wife was employed at the Housing Corporation. Hants Pension Service (current administrator) confirmed that the pension was transferred to her new employer (local authority) in Sep 2003.

My wife started employment with the local authority in July 2003 and still working there now, however her LGPS statement say that she joined the scheme in May 1997.

In summary,  we'd like to confirm that her accrued LGPS pension correctly reflects the value of the transfer. include related benefits such as the 85 year rule.

By 'Housing Corporation', do you mean a housing association...? Either way, did this earlier employment involve an LGPS pension, making the transfer (whether between LGPS funds or within the same one) an aggregation of some sort? Or was it a non-LGPS pension, so the transfer involved buying an LGPS reckonable service credit with the CETV...?

Separately - unless your wife's current employer is HCC, and by chasing the employer you actually meant chasing the pension service specifically, your wife isn't going to get much joy chasing the current employer. This sort of question (in an LGPS context at least) needs to be directed to the pension scheme administrator.

Kniphofia7

Her statements may say that she joined the scheme in May 1997 but there may also be the underlying transfer not necessarily shown there.  I work with LGPS as a LA admin and see this on our employer view of member records.  I would call the fund and ask them to confirm that the transfer is there.  It's really for the fund to answer the question - not the employer.

leosayer

Thanks for the responses so far.

My wife has actually raised the query with 'Local pension partnership' (LPP), not the employer as I originally stated.

Details of the Housing Corporation here:
"The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was abolished in 2008 with its responsibilities being split between the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority." 
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/housing-corporation

After doing some googling, there is some mention of Housing Corporation within the 2008 amendment to the LGPS legislation linked below, although I don't understand what it is saying: 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/2989/made?view=plain

I think it's pretty clear that the transfer (from Housing Corp to LGPS) has taken place but we'd like to understand the basis given the uncertainty over dates.

In any case, my wife first raised the query with LPP back in March and has chased so I think this warrants escalation.

hyubh

leosayer said:

Details of the Housing Corporation here:
"The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was abolished in 2008 with its responsibilities being split between the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority." 
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/housing-corporation

Thanks. I should have googled first, it even has a Wikipedia page

I think it's pretty clear that the transfer (from Housing Corp to LGPS) has taken place 

The Housing Corporation would (I imagine) not have had it's own pension scheme however, rather it would have been either the PCSPS or the LGPS. Doing a quick bit of research, it would seem LGPS - at least, the successor organisation (Housing and Communities Agency) is an admission body of the City of Westminster LGPS fund. If so, you're looking at an aggregation of like-for-like service, which assuming your wife didn't initially opt out, would make the 1997 start date wrong.

In any case, my wife first raised the query with LPP back in March

OK, LPP changed their admin software in that timeframe. Definitely cross check with previous documentation that was generated with what they used before...

leosayer

hyubh said:

leosayer said:

Details of the Housing Corporation here:
"The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was abolished in 2008 with its responsibilities being split between the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority." 
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/housing-corporation

Thanks. I should have googled first, it even has a Wikipedia page

I think it's pretty clear that the transfer (from Housing Corp to LGPS) has taken place 

The Housing Corporation would (I imagine) not have had it's own pension scheme however, rather it would have been either the PCSPS or the LGPS. Doing a quick bit of research, it would seem LGPS - at least, the successor organisation (Housing and Communities Agency) is an admission body of the City of Westminster LGPS fund. If so, you're looking at an aggregation of like-for-like service, which assuming your wife didn't initially opt out, would make the 1997 start date wrong.

In any case, my wife first raised the query with LPP back in March

OK, LPP changed their admin software in that timeframe. Definitely cross check with previous documentation that was generated with what they used before...

If I found out my wife opted out then we'll be having serious words.

No sign of any paperwork unfortunately except a few payslips which don't mention any pension contributions, I assume it was non-contributory at this time.

Thanks for the other info - gives us a bit more to go on.

Silvertabby

leosayer said:

hyubh said:

leosayer said:

Details of the Housing Corporation here:
"The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was abolished in 2008 with its responsibilities being split between the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority." 
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/housing-corporation

Thanks. I should have googled first, it even has a Wikipedia page

I think it's pretty clear that the transfer (from Housing Corp to LGPS) has taken place 

The Housing Corporation would (I imagine) not have had it's own pension scheme however, rather it would have been either the PCSPS or the LGPS. Doing a quick bit of research, it would seem LGPS - at least, the successor organisation (Housing and Communities Agency) is an admission body of the City of Westminster LGPS fund. If so, you're looking at an aggregation of like-for-like service, which assuming your wife didn't initially opt out, would make the 1997 start date wrong.

In any case, my wife first raised the query with LPP back in March

OK, LPP changed their admin software in that timeframe. Definitely cross check with previous documentation that was generated with what they used before...

If I found out my wife opted out then we'll be having serious words.

No sign of any paperwork unfortunately except a few payslips which don't mention any pension contributions, I assume it was non-contributory at this time.

Thanks for the other info - gives us a bit more to go on.

Was she part time at first?  If so, she may not have been allowed to join the pension scheme until the rules changed in 1995, at which point joining would have been optional.  1997 also saw some major scheme changes, so it may be that she was auto enrolled from that point?  I'd be surprised if the scheme was non-contributory.

leosayer

Silvertabby said:

leosayer said:

hyubh said:

leosayer said:

Details of the Housing Corporation here:
"The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was abolished in 2008 with its responsibilities being split between the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority." 
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/housing-corporation

Thanks. I should have googled first, it even has a Wikipedia page

I think it's pretty clear that the transfer (from Housing Corp to LGPS) has taken place 

The Housing Corporation would (I imagine) not have had it's own pension scheme however, rather it would have been either the PCSPS or the LGPS. Doing a quick bit of research, it would seem LGPS - at least, the successor organisation (Housing and Communities Agency) is an admission body of the City of Westminster LGPS fund. If so, you're looking at an aggregation of like-for-like service, which assuming your wife didn't initially opt out, would make the 1997 start date wrong.

In any case, my wife first raised the query with LPP back in March

OK, LPP changed their admin software in that timeframe. Definitely cross check with previous documentation that was generated with what they used before...

If I found out my wife opted out then we'll be having serious words.

No sign of any paperwork unfortunately except a few payslips which don't mention any pension contributions, I assume it was non-contributory at this time.

Thanks for the other info - gives us a bit more to go on.

Was she part time at first?  If so, she may not have been allowed to join the pension scheme until the rules changed in 1995, at which point joining would have been optional.  1997 also saw some major scheme changes, so it may be that she was auto enrolled from that point?  I'd be surprised if the scheme was non-contributory.

Definitely not part time at any point.

Might there have been a minimum age for joining the pension at any point? My wife turned 27 in 1997. 

Annoyingly she has retained payslips prior to 1996 but none after that and no pension paperwork at all. I'm surprised because she normally retains most paperwork.

Silvertabby

leosayer said:

Silvertabby said:

leosayer said:

hyubh said:

leosayer said:

Details of the Housing Corporation here:
"The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was abolished in 2008 with its responsibilities being split between the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority." 
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/housing-corporation

Thanks. I should have googled first, it even has a Wikipedia page

I think it's pretty clear that the transfer (from Housing Corp to LGPS) has taken place 

The Housing Corporation would (I imagine) not have had it's own pension scheme however, rather it would have been either the PCSPS or the LGPS. Doing a quick bit of research, it would seem LGPS - at least, the successor organisation (Housing and Communities Agency) is an admission body of the City of Westminster LGPS fund. If so, you're looking at an aggregation of like-for-like service, which assuming your wife didn't initially opt out, would make the 1997 start date wrong.

In any case, my wife first raised the query with LPP back in March

OK, LPP changed their admin software in that timeframe. Definitely cross check with previous documentation that was generated with what they used before...

If I found out my wife opted out then we'll be having serious words.

No sign of any paperwork unfortunately except a few payslips which don't mention any pension contributions, I assume it was non-contributory at this time.

Thanks for the other info - gives us a bit more to go on.

Was she part time at first?  If so, she may not have been allowed to join the pension scheme until the rules changed in 1995, at which point joining would have been optional.  1997 also saw some major scheme changes, so it may be that she was auto enrolled from that point?  I'd be surprised if the scheme was non-contributory.

Definitely not part time at any point.

Might there have been a minimum age for joining the pension at any point? My wife turned 27 in 1997. 

Annoyingly she has retained payslips prior to 1996 but none after that and no pension paperwork at all. I'm surprised because she normally retains most paperwork.

Minimum age could have been 18 or 21, depending on the scheme rules back then.

hyubh

Silvertabby said:

leosayer said:

Silvertabby said:

leosayer said:

hyubh said:

leosayer said:

Details of the Housing Corporation here:
"The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was abolished in 2008 with its responsibilities being split between the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority." 
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/housing-corporation

Thanks. I should have googled first, it even has a Wikipedia page

I think it's pretty clear that the transfer (from Housing Corp to LGPS) has taken place 

The Housing Corporation would (I imagine) not have had it's own pension scheme however, rather it would have been either the PCSPS or the LGPS. Doing a quick bit of research, it would seem LGPS - at least, the successor organisation (Housing and Communities Agency) is an admission body of the City of Westminster LGPS fund. If so, you're looking at an aggregation of like-for-like service, which assuming your wife didn't initially opt out, would make the 1997 start date wrong.

In any case, my wife first raised the query with LPP back in March

OK, LPP changed their admin software in that timeframe. Definitely cross check with previous documentation that was generated with what they used before...

If I found out my wife opted out then we'll be having serious words.

No sign of any paperwork unfortunately except a few payslips which don't mention any pension contributions, I assume it was non-contributory at this time.

Thanks for the other info - gives us a bit more to go on.

Was she part time at first?  If so, she may not have been allowed to join the pension scheme until the rules changed in 1995, at which point joining would have been optional.  1997 also saw some major scheme changes, so it may be that she was auto enrolled from that point?  I'd be surprised if the scheme was non-contributory.

Definitely not part time at any point.

Might there have been a minimum age for joining the pension at any point? My wife turned 27 in 1997. 

Annoyingly she has retained payslips prior to 1996 but none after that and no pension paperwork at all. I'm surprised because she normally retains most paperwork.

Minimum age could have been 18 or 21, depending on the scheme rules back then.

It was 18 in the 1986 regs, let alone the 1997 ones (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/24/regulation/B1/made)

BillyHorner

leosayer said:

hyubh said:

leosayer said:

Details of the Housing Corporation here:
"The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was abolished in 2008 with its responsibilities being split between the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority." 
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/housing-corporation

Thanks. I should have googled first, it even has a Wikipedia page

I think it's pretty clear that the transfer (from Housing Corp to LGPS) has taken place 

The Housing Corporation would (I imagine) not have had it's own pension scheme however, rather it would have been either the PCSPS or the LGPS. Doing a quick bit of research, it would seem LGPS - at least, the successor organisation (Housing and Communities Agency) is an admission body of the City of Westminster LGPS fund. If so, you're looking at an aggregation of like-for-like service, which assuming your wife didn't initially opt out, would make the 1997 start date wrong.

In any case, my wife first raised the query with LPP back in March

OK, LPP changed their admin software in that timeframe. Definitely cross check with previous documentation that was generated with what they used before...

If I found out my wife opted out then we'll be having serious words.

No sign of any paperwork unfortunately except a few payslips which don't mention any pension contributions, I assume it was non-contributory at this time.

Thanks for the other info - gives us a bit more to go on.

To the best of my knowledge (and I’ve been a member since 1993) LGPS has never been a non-contributory scheme.