The information contained in the bulletins below has been prepared by the Bluelight Pensions team, part of the Local Government Association (LGA). It represents the views of the team and should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of the law. Readers may wish, or will need, to take their own legal advice on the interpretation of legislation. No responsibility whatsoever will be assumed by the LGA for any direct or consequential loss, financial or otherwise, damage or inconvenience, or any other obligation or liability incurred by readers relying on information contained in the bulletins.

While every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of the bulletins, it would be helpful if readers could bring any perceived errors or omissions to the attention of the Bluelight team by emailing [email protected].

An index of topics covered by both issue number and subject matter has been added to the site for ease of reference and will be updated monthly:

Issue number index (PDF, 82 pages, 679kb) Topics index (PDF, 115 pages, 2,034kb) 


FPS Bulletin 78 - February 2024 (PDF, 17 pages, 336kb)


FPS Bulletin 77 - January 2024 (PDF, 22 pages, 407kb)


FPS Bulletin 76 - December 2023 (PDF, 16 pages, 605kb)


FPS Bulletin 75 - November 2023 (PDF, 13 pages, 317kb)


FPS Bulletin 74 - October 2023 (PDF, 26 pages, 374kb)


FPS Bulletin 73 - September 2023 (PDF, 30 pages, 1,305kb)


FPS Bulletin 72 - August 2023 (PDF, 14 pages, 297kb)


FPS Bulletin 71 - July 2023 (PDF, 24 pages, 338kb)


FPS Bulletin 70 - June 2023 (PDF, 15 pages, 308kb)


FPS Bulletin 69 - May 2023 (PDF, 21 pages, 771kb)


FPS Bulletin 68 - April 2023 (PDF, 14 pages, 339kb)


FPS Bulletin 67 - March 2023 (PDF, 16 pages, 271kb)


FPS Bulletin 66 - February 2023 (PDF, 12 pages, 242kb)


FPS Bulletin 65 - January 2023 (PDF, 11 pages, 257kb)

Appendix 1. Barnett Waddingham Case Study on FPS Remedy 2015 (PDF, 2 pages, 131kb)


FPS Bulletin 64 - December 2022 (PDF, 17 pages, 337kb)


FPS Bulletin 63 - November 2022 (PDF, 16 pages, 264kb)


FPS Bulletin 62 - October 2022 (PDF, 22 pages, 608kb)


FPS Bulletin 61 - September 2022 (PDF, 13 pages, 220kb)


FPS Bulletin 60 - August 2022 (PDF, 12 pages, 264kb)


FPS Bulletin 59 - July 2022 (PDF, 23 pages, 349kb)


FPS Bulletin 58 - June 2022 (PDF, 15 pages, 271kb)

Appendix 1. FPF1 DELTA notification letter June 2022 (PDF, 3 pages, 179kb)

Appendix 2. FRA assumptions - June 2022 (xlsx, 23kb)


FPS Bulletin 57 - May 2022 (PDF, 15 pages, 284kb)

LFB Pension Analyst JD (PDF, 8 pages, 277kb) 


FPS Bulletin 56 - April 2022 (PDF, 19 pages, 306kb)


FPS Bulletin 55 - March 2022 (PDF, 15 pages, 287kb)

FPS annual update 2022 (PDF, 4 pages, 189kb) 


FPS Bulletin 54 - February 2022 (PDF, 14 pages, 999kb)


FPS Bulletin 53 - January 2022 (PDF, 11 pages, 267kb)


FPS Bulletin 52 - December 2021 (PDF, 9 pages, 376kb)


FPS Bulletin 51 - November 2021 (PDF, 11 pages, 281kb)


FPS Bulletin 50 - October 2021 (PDF, 9 pages, 286kb)


FPS Bulletin 49 - September 2021 (PDF, 8 pages, 246kb)


FPS Bulletin 48 - August 2021 (PDF, 8 pages, 267kb)


FPS Bulletin 47 - July 2021 (PDF, 11 pages, 288kb)

Appendix 1. FPS administration strategy consultation response July 2021 - tracked (PDF, 9 pages, 213kb)

Appendix 2. FPS administration strategy July 2021 - tracked (PDF, 29 pages, 510kb)


FPS Bulletin 46 - June 2021 (PDF, 11 pages, 272kb)


FPS Bulletin 45 - May 2021 (PDF, 10 pages, 288kb)

Appendix 1. Managing Pension Schemes service migration letter (PDF, 2 pages, 154kb)


FPS Bulletin 44 - April 2021 (PDF, 12 pages, 377kb)

Appendix 1. IDRP data collection April 2021 (xlsx, 21.1kb)

Appendix 2. SAB update event invitation (JPG, 1 page, 437kb)


FPS Bulletin 43 - March 2021 (PDF, 10 pages, 302kb)


FPS Bulletin 42 - February 2021 (PDF, 14 pages, 307kb)


FPS Bulletin 41 - January 2021 (PDF, 11 pages, 392kb)


FPS Bulletin 40 - December 2020 (PDF, 8 pages, 310kb)


FPS Bulletin 39 - November 2020 (PDF, 11 pages, 271kb)

Appendix 1. 2020-2021 FRAs England statutory levy form (Word, 1 page, 37.7kb)


FPS Bulletin 38 - October 2020 (PDF, 11 pages, 278kb)


FPS Bulletin 37 - September 2020 (PDF, 10 pages, 296kb)

Appendix 1. FPS Administration Strategy consultation response (PDF, 7 pages, 202kb)

Appendix 2. Immediate detriment data request (xlsx, 20.9kb)


FPS Bulletin 36 - August 2020 (PDF, 12 pages, 304kb)

Appendix 1. FPF1 DELTA notification letter (PDF, 3 pages, 173kb)

Appendix 2. FRA assumptions - September 2020 (xlsx, 24.8kb)


FPS Bulletin 35 - July 2020 (PDF, 11 pages, 313kb)


FPS Bulletin 34 June 2020 (PDF, 14 pages, 514kb)

Appendix 1. FPS administration strategy consultation document (PDF, 3 pages, 221kb)

Appendix 2. Draft FPS administration, management, and governance strategy (PDF, 19 pages, 552kb)


FPS Bulletin 33 - May 2020 (PDF, 11 pages, 425kb)


FPS Bulletin 32 - April 2020 (PDF, 12 pages, 460kb)


FPS Bulletin 31 - April 2020 - interim bulletin (PDF, 5 pages, 298kb)

Appendix 1. IDRP data collection March 2020 (xlsx, 21.7kb)


FPS Bulletin 30 - March 2020 (PDF, 12 pages, 731kb)

Appendix 1. Malcolm Eastwood signs off (PDF, 3 pages, 118kb)

Appendix 2. IDRP data collection March 2020 (xlsx, 19.4kb)


FPS Bulletin 29 - February 2020 (PDF, 9 pages, 331kb)


FPS Bulletin 28 - January 2020 (PDF, 11 pages, 522kb)

Appendix 1. Remedy data gathering (xlsx, 13.1kb)


FPS Bulletin 27 - December 2019 (PDF, 10 pages, 601kb)

Appendix 1. Home Office Sargeant fact sheet (PDF, 3 pages, 292kb)

Appendix 2. Chair's message 2019 (PDF, 3 pages, 103kb)


FPS Bulletin 26 - November 2019 (PDF, 8 pages, 445kb)

Appendix 1. Accounting disclosures 2019/20 - Hymans Robertson (PDF, 1 page, 563kb)


FPS Bulletin 25 - October 2019 (PDF, 8 pages, 629kb)

Appendix 1. Pension forecasting guidance (PDF, 22 pages, 620kb)

Appendix 2. Fire E Consolidated Factors - October 2019 (xlsm, 584kb)

Appendix 3. Data requirements for 2019 TPR return (PDF, 15 pages, 382kb)

Appendix 4. Data score weighting 0-10 (xlsx, 13kb)

Appendix 5. Police-Fire pensions disclosures with GAD (PDF, 1 page, 676kb)

Appendix 6. TPO Corporate-plan-2019-2022 (PDF, 25 pages, 1,550kb)


FPS Bulletin 24 - September 2019 (PDF, 9 pages, 693kb)

Appendix 1. Fire Pension Schemes Management and Governance (PDF, 9 pages, 423kb)


FPS Bulletin 23 - August 2019 (PDF, 8 pages, 473kb)

Appendix 1. Firefighters Admin Benchmark report - Final - Issued (PDF, 103 pages, 2,350kb)

Appendix 2. Compensatory 'ill-health' pensions factsheet (PDF, 3 pages, 336kb)


FPS Bulletin 22 - July 2019 (PDF, 15 pages, 870kb)

Appendix 1. Taxing times for pension savers (PDF, 4 pages, 288kb)

Appendix 2. The complexities of ill-health pensions (PDF, 3 pages, 402kb)

Appendix 3. Weightmans legal update (PDF, 3 pages, 196kb)

Appendix 4. Public Service Governance Survey 2018 (PDF, 7 pages, 605kb)

Appendix 5. TPO Annual Report 2018 2019 (PDF, 2 pages, 89.2kb)


FPS Bulletin 21 - June 2019 (PDF, 10 pages, 616kb)

Appendix 1. 2019 ABS amendments (Word, 29 pages, 157kb)

Appendix 2. 2019 ABS amendments (PDF, 29 pages, 883kb)

Appendix 3. Fire England TVins - June 2019 (xlsm, 133kb)

Appendix 4. Fire E Consolidated Factors - June 2019 (xlsm, 607kb)

Appendix 5. Joint board guidance (PDF, 6 pages, 377kb)

Appendix 6. Draft LPB TOR 04 16 19 clean (PDF, 7 pages, 28.5kb)

Appendix 7. Draft LPB TOR 04 16 19 tracked (PDF, 7 pages, 33.8kb)

Appendix 8. TPO newsletter 6 (PDF, 4 pages, 340kb)


FPS Bulletin 20 - May 2019 (PDF, 9 pages, 459kb)

Appendix 1. Pensionable pay factsheet May 2019 (PDF, 9 pages, 611kb)

Appendix 2. Technical note: Restricting exit payments in the public sector (PDF, 7 pages, 264kb)


FPS Bulletin 19 - April 2019 (PDF, 10 pages, 480kb)


FPS Bulletin 18 - March 2019 (PDF, 8 pages, 444kb)

Appendix 1. Fire E Pension Debit adjustment and Pension Credit Factors - March 2019 (xlsm, 210kb)

Appendix 2. Contribution rates 2019-20 (PDF, 2 pages, 370kb)

Appendix 3. Year end update 2019 (PDF, 2 pages, 271kb)

Appendix 4. HMRC: Managing Pension Schemes workshop 27 02 19 (PDF, 36 pages, 1,170kb)


FPS Bulletin 17 - February 2019 (PDF, 10 pages, 518kb)

Appendix 1. Fire England Trivial Commutation - February 2019 (xlsm, 130kb)

Appendix 2. Club Factors Jan 2019 (xlsx, 44.1kb)


FPS Bulletin 16 - January 2019 (PDF, 9 pages, 569kb)

Appendix 1. Fire E Added Pension & CPD Factors - January 2019 (xlsm, 134kb)

Appendix 2. Fire England Tax Charge Debits - January 2019 (xlsm, 240kb)

Appendix 3. Fire England TVins - January 2019 (xlsm, 129kb)

Appendix 4. FPS Member Survey poster (PNG, 1 page, 359kb)

Appendix 5. SAB request for information (Word, 2 pages, 56.2kb)

Appendix 6. Scheme Manager factsheet (PDF, 2 pages, 365kb)


FPS Bulletin 15 - December 2018 (PDF, 10 pages, 641kb)

Appendix 1. A message from the chair (PDF, 3 pages, 95.8kb)

Appendix 2. Fire England ERFs&LRFs - November 2018 (xlsm, 147kb)

Appendix 3. Fire England CETV & PenCE Factors - November 2018 (xlsm, 260kb)

Appendix 4. SAB request for information (Word, 2 pages, 56.2kb)

Appendix 5. TPO newsletter 5 (PDF, 5 pages, 960kb)


FPS Bulletin 14 - November 2018 (PDF, 10 pages, 669kb)

Appendix 1. FPS Administration and Benchmarking exercise - Aon update (PDF, 1 pages, 131kb)

Appendix 2. Letter to fire authorities - 2018.2019 (PDF, 3 pages, 101kb)


FPS Bulletin 13 - October 2018 (PDF, 10 pages, 669kb)

Appendix 1. Home Office letter to FRAs - Review of Scheme factors (PDF, 2 pages, 139kb)

Appendix 2. PASA Stalemate guidance (PDF, 12 pages, 344kb)


FPS Bulletin 12 - September 2018 (PDF, 9 pages, 483kb)

Appendix 1. Aon meeting note 1: 17 September 2018 (PDF, 4 pages, 212kb)

Appendix 2. Pensions tax support pro-forma (Word, 2 pages, 13kb)


FPS Bulletin 11 - August 2018 (PDF, 8 pages, 412kb)

Appendix 1. Illustrative data requirements for 2018 TPR return (PDF, 12 pages, 356kb)


FPS Bulletin 10 - July 2018 (PDF, 7 pages, 436kb)

Appendix 1. TPOS newsletter 4 (PDF, 5 pages, 1,000kb)


FPS Bulletin 9 - June 2018 (PDF, 8 pages, 522kb)

Appendix 1. 2018 ABS amendments (Word, 29 pages, 158kb)

Appendix 2. 2018 ABS amendments (PDF, 29 pages, 882kb)

Appendix 3. Crystal Mark 22141 (JPEG, 232kb)

Appendix 4. Crystal Mark conditions of use (PDF, 2 pages, 50kb)

Appendix 5. Pension query form (Word, 2 pages, 80kb)

Appendix 6. Query form notes for completion (PDF, 2 pages, 167kb)


FPS Bulletin 8 - May 2018 (PDF, 10 pages, 463kb)

Appendix 1. Tax awareness seminars - next steps (PDF, 2 pages, 257kb)

Appendix 2. CIPFA Police and Fire Horizon Scan Apr May 2018 (PDF, 18 pages, 333kb)


FPS Bulletin 7 - April 2018 (PDF, 9 pages, 719kb)

Appendix 1. TPO signposting (Word, 4 pages, 28kb)


FPS Bulletin 6 - March 2018 (PDF, 6 pages, 524kb)

Appendix 1. FPS contribution rates 2018-19 (PDF, 2 pages, 401kb)

Appendix 2. Year End update 2018 (PDF, 2 pages, 294kb)

Appendix 3. LPB survey research report (PDF, 38 pages, 687kb)

Appendix 4. TPR - Managing service providers statement Feb 2018 (PDF, 2 pages, 410kb)

Appendix 5. TPOS Public Pension Scheme Statistics (PDF, 8 pages, 1,330kb)


FPS Bulletin 5 - February 2018 (PDF, 10 pages, 773kb)

Appendix 1. Eversheds presentation - Abatement and protected pension age - 11 Oct 2016 (PDF, 22 pages, 325kb)

Appendix 2. eversheds-sutherland.com-UK Pensions Speedbrief Public sector age discrimination appeals - latest (PDF, 4 pages, 76kb)

Appendix 3. ITM GDPR bulletin - Fire (PDF, 3 pages, 611kb)

Appendix 4. Impact of change in GMP Indexation_Fire England_30 Jan 2018 (PDF, 2 pages, 295kb)

Appendix 5. GMP Guidance - GMP Trustee Checklist (PDF, 22 pages, 179kb)

Appendix 6. Relief at source for Scottish Income Tax - message for members (PDF, 4 pages, 241kb)


FPS Bulletin 4 - January 2018 (PDF, 7 pages, 553kb)

Appendix 1. Ill health retirement and the Firefighters’ Compensation Scheme quick guide (PDF, 29 pages, 673kb)

Appendix 2. IQMP guidance - Edition 4 - October 2012 (PDF, 28 pages, 86kb)

Appendix 3. Circular FPSC 9 -2010 (PDF, 10 pages, 267kb)

Appendix 4: Voluntary scheme pays - Note to FRAs - Further Guidance v2 23 January 2018 (PDF, 12 pages, 479kb)

Appendix 5. VSP election forms - member (PDF, 2 pages, 71kb)

Appendix 6. VSP election forms - scheme manager (PDF, 1 page, 10kb)

Appendix 7: Guidance on proportioning Scheme Pays Debit v2 23 January 2018 (PDF, 3 pages, 292kb)

Appendix 8. Pensions Dashboard development day 11 December 2017 (PDF, 3 pages, 93kb)

Appendix 9. TPOS newsletter 3 (PDF, 4 pages, 361kb)


FPS Bulletin 3 - November/ December 2017 (PDF, 10 pages, 613kb)

Appendix 1. Survivor benefits quick guide (PDF, 20 pages, 751kb)

Appendix 2. TPOS newsletter (PDF, 4 pages, 247kb)

Appendix 3. Tax awareness flyer - FPS (PDF, 3 pages, 364kb)


FPS Bulletin 2 - September/ October 2017 (PDF, 9 pages, 576kb)

Appendix 1. Technical note - 2017 Amendment Orders (PDF, 20 pages, 553kb)

Appendix 2. Letter to fire authorities - 2017.2018 (PDF, 3 pages, 153kb)

Appendix 3. TPR data challenges (PDF, 16 pages, 3,370kb)

Appendix 4. Dashboard newsletter (PDF, 2 pages, 370kb)

Appendix 5. HMRC queries 20.10.2017 (PDF, 5 pages, 219kb)

Appendix 6. Technical note - Correct tax treatment of Ill-Health pension paid from the Compensation Scheme (PDF, 5 pages, 299kb)

Appendix 7. Tax awareness flyer - FPS (PDF, 3 pages, 364kb)


FPS Bulletin 1 - July/ August 2017 (PDF, 10 pages, 548kb)

Appendix 1. 2018FPF1 LOGASnet Notification Letter_AM (PDF, 3 pages, 220kb)

Appendix 2. FRA Assumptions - FPF12018 (PDF, 1 page, 12.5kb)

Appendix 3. TPR survey results FPS (PDF, 35 pages, 1,610kb)

Appendix 4. TPR key messages (PDF, 28 pages, 1,110kb)

Appendix 5. Voluntary scheme pays - Note to FRAs - LGA guidance note v1 (PDF, 8 pages, 469kb)

Appendix 6. HMRC queries (PDF, 4 pages, 212kb)

Appendix 7. 20170629 Procedure to report & pay tax for UP's revised (PDF, 1 page, 184kb)

Appendix 8. Firefighter Contribution Hol Unauthorised Payment Spreadsheet (PDF, 1 page, 5.62kb)

Appendix 9. Wrap up training agenda - 22.08.17 (PDF, 1 page, 184kb)