LGPS Current Issues | June 2025
And in other news
Pension Dashboards
Various publications/updates relating to forthcoming Pension Dashboards including updated support for LGPS Funds to comply with the necessary requirements have been released and are summarised here.
AVCs
Version 1.1 of the AVCs and Dashboards Administrator Guide was published by the LGA on 2 May 2025 with a minor amendment that clarifies that matching criteria of the administering authority and AVC providers do not need to be identical. Authorities are advised to discuss this further with their AVC providers. Administering authorities can now register themselves with the MaPS’ governance register once they receive their registration code in May 2025. Instructions on how to register will be provided and further information can be found in TPR’s hot topic article here.
On 7 May 2025, the Pension Administration Standards Association (PASA) also published its AVC toolkit focusing on registration and connection to the Central Digital Architecture.
Registration Codes
Administering authorities can now register themselves with the MaPS’ governance register once they receive their registration code in May 2025. Instructions on how to register will be provided and further information can be found in TPR’s hot topic article here.
PDP Guidance and Progress Update Report
To support Funds looking to connect, the PDP has updated guidance relating to Standards, Connecting using a third party, change of connection plans and also a forum in relation to registration codes. A blog setting out their latest research into how FCA pension providers will connect was also published in April 2025. The PDP also published a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) on 9 May 2025 that focuses on building and running the central digital architecture and related services that make pensions dashboards possible. The PDP also published its latest progress update report on 15 May 2025.
TPR Videos
TPR have launched a campaign to get the pensions industry dashboard ready by releasing a number of short videos where savers talk about their current pension situation and how dashboards will help. The videos are to be shared with teams responsible for dashboard implementation and also on social media. TPR have also issued a reminder about the five key actions Funds should be undertaking prior to connection – data, project management, dashboard contacts, working with third parties and decision making and oversight.
Scheme Annual Report 2024
On 14 May 2025 SAB published the twelfth version of its Scheme Annual Report 2024. The report provides a single source of information collating data from the 86 Funds in England and Wales and shows the size, scale and work undertaken in the LGPS. For the first time, given the new annual report guidance issued in 2024, the Scheme Annual Report contains scheme level data on administration, governance and training.
National LGPS Framework for Pension Administration Software
The second iteration of the Pension Administration Software Framework is now available as referenced in the press release issued by the National LGPS Framework. Civica, Heywood and EQ Retirement Solutions have been appointed to the Framework.
Pensions schemes newsletters
HMRC published pension schemes newsletter 169 and newsletter 170 on 24 April 2025 and 29 May 2025 respectively. The newsletters include articles linked to:
- LTA protections – including changes to the “look up service”
- Pension protection service
- QROPS following recently changes to HMRC qualification criteria for QROPS in the EEA
Lifetime Allowance
In response to the query raised by LGA in February 2025 to HMRC in relation to RBCE annual statement, HMRC replied in April 2025 to confirm that the LTA used up by a prior Benefit Crystalisation Event should be quoted as a monetary amount because the LTA has been removed from legislation and that schemes should assume the standard transitional calculation unless they are aware the member has a transitional tax-free amount certificate in force. Whilst a monetary amount will be quoted on annual statements, administering authorities will still need to maintain a record of the total LTA % used, as this will be used as evidence should members with to apply for a transitional tax-free-amount certificate.
The LGA also published an updated version of its “Abolition of the Lifetime Allowance” guide to reflect changes made by the Pensions (Abolition of LTA Charges etc) (No 2) and (No 3) Regulations 2024.