The Barnet Pension Fund has paid out compensation to two members due to administrative delays, according to a report presented at the Local Pension Board meeting on Wednesday 02 July 2025.
To prevent similar issues in the future, the Scheme of Delegation will be amended to tighten procedures.
The payments, detailed in the Administration Performance Report, were made in accordance with The Pensions Ombudsman's (TPO) guidelines for Redress for non-financial injustice
.
One member, Mrs. H, received £1,000 after complaining to TPO about missing service on her record from 2006 to 2011. The missing service occurred when she was employed at two Local Education Authority (LEA) schools, both of which are now academies. According to the report, the compensation was for the stress and inconvenience that she has been caused over her pension
over a prolonged period. Mrs. H's complaint related to the period when the LEA schools transitioned to academies.
Another member, Mrs. L, received £500 due to delays in receiving her retirement benefits. Mrs. L retired in January 2025 but had not received payment due to delays in the payroll provider providing West Yorkshire Pension Fund (WYPF) with historic pay details. Retirement details were eventually sent to her on 28 May 2025.
The report also noted that there is another potential compensation payment for a member, where there were delays in disinvesting his Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) fund at his retirement date, causing delays in paying his pension by the previous administrator. The council is liaising with TPO on the level of compensation that should be offered.
The Administration Performance Report also included data on WYPF performance, the WYPF member portal, Annual Benefit Statements (ABS), automation of pension processes by WYPF, a finance update, the Pension Fund Engagement Strategy, and changes to the LGPS in England and Wales.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has launched a consultation on changes to the LGPS in England and Wales. The proposed changes are intended to improve fairness in and access to the LGPS. The proposals include:
- addressing survivor pensions and deaths grants.
- addressing the Gender Pension Gap in the LGPS.
- collecting data on how many members opt out of the scheme and why.
- changes to forfeiture, aiming to tackle long-standing issues with forfeiture in the LGPS.
- several technical changes to how the McCloud remedy operates.
- a number of other miscellaneous changes, including changes to five-year refunds, pre 2014 AVCs and small pot payments.
Other items discussed at the meeting included the Data Improvement Plan and Historical Leavers, the Local Pension Board Annual Report, Knowledge and Understanding, Pension Fund Risk Registers, and an Update on the Local Government Pension Scheme (England and Wales).