The Hammersmith and Fulham Pension Fund is navigating a complex landscape, facing ongoing challenges in pension administration. The Pension Fund Committee convened on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, to address these critical issues, as detailed in the Public reports pack.
A key focus of the meeting was the performance of the Local Pension Partnership Administration (LPPA), which handles the fund's administrative duties. While the LPPA has shown improvements in processing cases, with a notable increase in the number of cases handled in the September to December 2025 quarter compared to previous periods, persistent challenges remain. These include increasing legislative complexity, data management issues, resource limitations, and employer engagement difficulties.
Legislative Hurdles and Resource Constraints
The LPPA is grappling with increasingly complex legislation,
which is impacting the efficiency and effectiveness of its services. Specific legislative challenges include the McCloud remedy, the Pensions Dashboard, and changes stemming from the Pensions Bill, as outlined in the Pensions Bill Update.
Furthermore, the LPPA is experiencing significant resource limitations.
These are exacerbated by issues with staff training, high staff turnover, the reallocation of personnel to new client onboarding, and a lack of robust checks and balances. To address these, the LPPA is reportedly implementing measures such as dedicating resources to rectify identified errors and is committed to improving staff retention and providing regular training.
Performance Metrics and Member Satisfaction
Despite these challenges, the LPPA processed 1,598 cases in the third quarter of the 2025/26 scheme year, an increase of 232 cases from the previous quarter. Performance in key areas such as retirements, deaths, transfers, and refunds generally met or exceeded service level agreements (SLAs). The LPPA Q3 KPI report details these metrics, showing, for instance, that 98.6% of active retirements and 99.2% of deferred retirements were processed on time in Q3. Similarly, 98.8% of death cases and all transfer and refund cases were processed within the SLA.
However, member satisfaction survey responses remain a concern, with dissatisfaction increasing in some areas. Specifically, concerning active retirements, the Q3 2025/26 data indicates that out of 11 surveys completed, two respondents expressed dissatisfaction (18.2%). The LPPA is working to improve the quality of service experienced by members through automation, higher staff retention, regular training, and better engagement.
Employer Engagement Strategies
Difficulties in employer engagement
are also identified as a challenge. While the primary reasons are not explicitly detailed, strategies are being implemented to improve this. The LBHF pension team is collaborating with LPPA to enhance engagement with employers and is enforcing fines in line with the pension administration strategy to maximise compliance. Employers will also be consulted on their views regarding the Funding Strategy Statement.
Eleanor Dennis, Head of Pensions, noted that while the service has improved, it is still under close monitoring. The committee will continue to monitor the LPPA's performance closely in the coming months, with the evolving regulatory landscape remaining a key focus. The Key Performance Indicators Paper provides further details on the metrics being reviewed.
