Academies are classed as a scheduled body so have automatic right, and requirement, to be an employer in the LGPS covering their geographical area of Devon and Somerset. These employers must participate in the LGPS and do not have the option to offer an alternative pension arrangement. All staff are contractually, automatically enrolled into the LGPS from the first day of their employment.
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First Priorities - What we need you to do first
- Inform Peninsula Pensions of the conversion, the name of the new academy/Multi Academy Trust (MAT) and the proposed date as soon as possible – there is no formal application for a school to become an eligible employer in the LGPS so it will automatically occur once you become an academy.
- Provide a list of all the non-teaching staff at the school confirming if they are currently in the scheme or not – please do not include these members on the leaver spreadsheet as this will complicate the process (see our TUPE and Admitted Bodies page for more information).
- Assure those employees already in the pension scheme that their membership will continue in the same way following conversion. Our web page TUPE Transfers – Implications for LGPS Members can help you with this.
- Contact any eligible employees not in the LGPS at the time of transfer to advise them that they will be automatically contractually enrolled into the LGPS.
- Obtain a copy of the new academy report to confirm the employer contribution rate.
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Next steps
- Obtain your new employer number from Peninsula Pensions
- Decide the percentage of pay each employee must pay into the LGPS in accordance with the relevant bandings on our Your Contributions page.
- Inform your payroll provider of the employer’s and employee’s contribution rates:
- Employee contributions are deducted from an employee’s actual pensionable pay in accordance with the relevant banding on our Your Contributions Page.
- The Employer contribution rate will be specified in the new employer or academy report or can be confirmed by the fund’s Investment team.
- Automatically enrol all eligible staff into the LGPS – there are some staff who are not eligible to join the LGPS so please refer to our New employee and scheme member guidance to see which staff are eligible for automatic enrolment.
- Arrange for your employer and employee contributions to be paid to the pension fund on time each month in accordance with the instructions on our website and complete the monthly contribution form
Make a payment to the Devon Pension Fund
Make a payment to the Somerset Pension Fund
- Complete our online Employer Contact Details form as soon as possible to confirm the following:
- Confirm Contact Details – Pensions forms need to be ‘signed off’ or submitted by authorised signatories so that we know who to contact with any queries and who will be registered as authorised contacts.
- Confirm Authorised Delegated Contacts (if applicable) – We do not deal directly with payroll providers, but you can delegate some or all daily administration to them. The details authorise Peninsula Pensions to accept data and completed pensions forms directly from your payroll provider. The responsibility for the timely and accurate provision of data and contributions remains with you as the employer.
- Confirm Name of Payroll Provider – We would appreciate it if you could confirm your payroll provider for our records.
- Confirm IDRP Stage 1 Appeals Officer Form – You will need to nominate an appeals officer to deal with Stage 1 of the Internal Disputes Resolution Procedure (IDRP) if a member has made a complaint against a decision that the employer has made.
- Sign up to our employer newsletter Pensions Line – our e-zine which keeps you updated with changes to legislation and procedures along with notification of training events and any other information we think you will find useful. Please confirm the names and email addresses of anyone who needs to receive our newsletter and we will add them to our mailing list,
- Appoint an Independent Registered Medical Practitioner (IRMP) to assess ill health retirement applications and decide the appropriate “tier” for ill health. Please refer to our Ill Health Retirement Guide for Employers for more information.
- Confirm any New Starters who weren’t involved in the transfer or listed in the designation via the approved monthly interface template – please see the New Employee and Scheme member page.
- Formulate and publish your Pensions Discretions Policy and provide a copy to Peninsula Pensions.
- Inform your members of:
- Our website which has lots of information relevant to members of the LGPS.
- Member Self Service via our website where they can get up-to-date information on their pension.
- Contact our Employer and Communications Team to arrange training on your responsibilities as an employer within the LGPS and what you need to do.
Please refer to the Employer Guidance section of our website for everything you need to know about the LGPS and what you need to do.
Please refer to the Employer Guidance section of our website for everything you need to know about the LGPS and what you need to do.