Issue - meetings

The item was introduced by Vicky Jenks. Members’ attention was drawn to the fact that around 9,000 firefighters, who were claimants for age discrimination, were due to receive a compensatory payment due to uncertainty around proposed changes to their pensions, which had been found to be discriminatory. Some of these claimants were from Warwickshire.

Vicky Jenks reminded members the Pensions Dashboard was due to go live in September 2024, and that it had been agreed to add the topic to the risk register. Work on data quality and reconciliation with payroll was ongoing to ensure data made available to members via the Dashboard would be accurate. Additionally a project working group at WCC would be established in relation to Matthews project,

Helen Scargill said the required information in relation to deferred pensioners and beneficiary pensioners had been submitted to the National Fraud Initiative. This was to check nobody was receiving pension payments they weren’t entitled to.

Responding to a question from the Chair, Vicky Jenks said there had been around 25 members who had taken up the option to purchase service as part of the first modified retained exercise.  Information was now being gathered to identify members in scope for the second exercise and a letter and form would be sent out to those. Vicky Jenks said information would be sent to a member’s last known address, but other ways of contacting people were being explored. These would need to comply with GDPR. Barnaby Briggs said there was a retired members association who might be able to assist with finding members. He said he would be happy to pass on information to those involved with the association if it would assist. Vicky Jenks said information that was sent out would be generic, as individuals’ personal data could not be shared. She also said the Fund may need to rely on essential guidance on what to do where pay information was not held. Vicky Jenks confirmed WCC held information going back to 2006.