- I need some STRAIN costs for a redundancy exercise, how do I obtain this?
If the number of strain costs needed is more than 10, a spreadsheet can be completed based on the strain cost information we hold. Please contact the Employer & Communications Team for a copy.
For individual requests, the estimate request form can be downloaded from our website.
- I have a member of staff that wishes to retire on flexible grounds, how do I go about looking at this?
As the employer, you will need to have the policy allowing flexible retirement within your discretions policy.
If the discretion is included, then it is recommended you request an estimate if the member is between 55* and 60.
For an actual flexible retirement, a leaver’s spreadsheet will need to be completed. If a key decision form has not been submitted indicating how the strain cost will be paid, an HR Authorisation form will need to be submitted for each case.
*From April 2028 the NMPA is increasing from age 55 to age 57.
- We are changing our payroll provider, what do we need to do?
Please email finance.peninsulaemployers-mailbox@devon.gov.uk with details of who the new payroll provider is. Documents will then be sent to you to forward on to your current/past payroll provider.
- I work for a parish or town council and want to join the Local Government Pension Scheme. How do I do this?
If you are not already an employer within the Devon or Somerset pension fund, the council will have to pass a resolution to allow either the person or the post join the LGPS. Please email finance.peninsulaemployers-mailbox@devon.gov.uk with a copy of the meeting minutes and we will seek authorisation.
Please see our page for New Employers – Designated Bodies for more information.
- We have some services that we will be outsourcing to a private company – what do we need to do about the pensions?
This will be a TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)) of staff and we need to set up the new company as an employer within the LGPS through an admission agreement. We will transfer the employee records as part of the process once we have all the information.
Please send an email to finance.peninsulaemployers-mailbox@devon.gov.uk with the details of the services being outsourced, alongside a filled in Admitted Body Application Form.
- We are a local authority school who are converting to an academy and/or joining a multi-academy trust (MAT) or moving to another MAT – what do we need to do about the pensions?
This will be a TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)) of staff. We will transfer the employee records as part of the process once we have all the information.
Please get in contact via the email address finance.peninsulaemployers-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
- Has the employer contribution rate changed for this year and how can I find out how much I pay?
Employer contribution rates are set every 3 years by the Fund actuary as part of the tri-annual valuation. The latest valuation occurred in 2023, meaning rates have been set for 2023 – 2026. Employers would have been sent details of the contribution rates payable by the relevant team in April 2023.
Please email finance.peninsulaemployers-mailbox@devon.gov.uk if you need any more information.
- One of our employees has opted out and received a refund of contributions. Can we have a refund of the employer contributions too?
If a member opts out within three months of joining the scheme, and when contributions are refunded via payroll, the member is treated as if they were never a member of the LGPS, so both the employee and employer contributions are refunded, and any tax relief if received by the member is adjusted accordingly.
