Newham Council pension fund faces call wait time issues and member satisfaction drop

Newham Council pension fund faces call wait time issues and member satisfaction drop

Newham Council Pension Fund has experienced issues with call wait times, exceeding its target of four minutes by 18 seconds in the first quarter of 2026. The overall satisfied score for member satisfaction has dropped to 79.4%, a decrease from 91.1%, although dissatisfied scores have remained relatively constant.

During a recent Pensions Committee meeting, James Cocks, Assistant Director of Transactional People Services, presented an update on pension administration. While overall performance against Service Level Agreements (SLAs) was reported as exceeding 95%, with retirements and deaths performing well, call centre wait times had slightly exceeded the four-minute target. These delays were attributed partly to bank holidays and the Easter period. However, Mr Cocks also noted that if you want more of a service, you have to pay for more of a service. The report indicates that the Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA) is well placed to meet demand and drive further improvements in the member and employer experience and is actively managing delivery, risk and regulatory obligations through a structured and controlled approach. They are also continuing to prioritise the delivery of statutory responsibilities, while maintaining service stability and focusing on key SLA casework areas.

Member satisfaction scores had seen a slight drop, which was partly linked to the call centre wait times, particularly around bank holidays. The low response rate to surveys was also highlighted as a factor affecting the statistical significance of the satisfaction figures. The take-up of surveys from individuals is noted as low, and while the number of members registered on the online portal has increased, the report states that Low volumes of survey responses can lead to high volatility in the satisfaction scores.

The self-service module, PensionPoint, saw a significant increase in usage, with the number of registered members increasing by 356 in the quarter. This is described as a material increase, and the fund is looking to try and focus on the actives and the pensioners, hoping to see another jump in quarter two.

Councillor Nizam Ali raised concerns about late retirement notifications, with 10 out of 11 instances being late. The rationale provided was that employers often delay notifying LPPA until an employee has officially left, due to payroll processing timelines. This is because a lot of payments within the local authority come the month of them leaving or the month after. So, we wouldn't have exact figures on what their pension will pay would be, their basis for their calculation. This can lead to members not receiving their pension the month after leaving, sometimes resulting in a two-month wait. If a member leaves in June, they are likely to receive their pension in August. Officers agreed to investigate potential action plans to improve this process.

Further details on the fund's performance and administration can be found in the Public reports pack for the Pensions Committee meeting.