Admin Resources

This page contains guides and sample documents issued by the LGA Bluelight team in collaboration with the Fire Communications Working Group on a variety of subjects. Other useful documents have been added. The topics are listed in alphabetical order with both tracked and clean versions available where there have been changes to the documents.

Items in Word format can be edited - please check any areas highlighted in yellow or as otherwise instructed.

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Abatement Informal abatement guidance for FRAs - version 1.2 (PDF, 17 pages, 323kb) FRAs April 2023
Abatement Informal abatement guidance for FRAs - version 1.1 (PDF, 17 pages, 323kb) FRAs August 2022

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Aggregation Guide to combining pension scheme service in the FPS - version 1.1 clean (PDF, 18 pages, 297kb) Administrators November 2021
  Guide to combining pension scheme service in the FPS - version 1.1 tracked (PDF, 18 pages, 302kb)   November 2021

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Annual Allowance Annual Allowance factsheet for members (PDF, 13 pages, 317kb) Scheme members September 2023
  Annual Allowance factsheet for members (Word, 12 pages, 103kb) Scheme members October 2020
  Annual Allowance factsheet for members (Word, 10 pages, 82.6kb) Scheme members April 2019

31 May 2022

The following comments have been made to recognise the position of HM Treasury (HMT) policy decisions on ABS for this year

At the Fire Technical Working Group (FTWG) meeting on 7 March 2022 we discussed annual benefit statement production (ABS) for 2022. As ABS’s in 2022 will be based on current scheme regulations up to 31 March 2022, it was proposed that the same process as last year is followed, and the statements caveated in a similar way. FPS Bulletin 44 – April 2021 provides more information.

However, while the recommendation last year was to suppress projections for fully protected members which would have incorrectly forecast final salary benefits beyond 31 March 2022, administrators were asked to consider that projections for former protected members could be included this year on a fully CARE basis.

The group failed to reach a consensus on this matter, it was therefore agreed that administrators will make the final call on whether to include projections or not. It is the expectation that administrators will notify the FRAs they administer on their decision.  

We will continue to review requirements for ABS over the coming years in line with HMT policy decisions on remedy.

Appropriate messaging

It is recommended that this approach should be communicated to members in the ABS using the suggested caveat included in FPS Bulletin 57 - May 2022.

 

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Annual Benefit Statements ABS 2023 template and notes (Word, 12 pages, 136kb) FRAs, LPBs April 2023
  Annex A - current value of benefits (PDF, 6 pages, 150kb) FRAs, LPBs April 20232
  Annex B - CPD, LSI and APBs (PDF, 2 pages, 100kb) FRAs, LPBs April 2023
  Annex C - retiring from the scheme (PDF, 2 pages, 122kb)  FRAs, LPBs April 2023
  Annex D - estimated value of CARE pension (PDF, 3 pages, 117kb) FRAs, LPBs April 2023
  Annex E - estimated value of final salary pension (PDF, 1 page, 123kb) FRAs, LPBs April 2023
  Annex F - survivor benefits (PDF, 3 pages, 121kb) FRAs, LPBs April 2023
  Annex G - adjustments to pension (PDF, 1 pages, 83kb) FRAs, LPBs April 2023
  Annex H - pension growth (PDF, 2 pages, 98kb) FRAs, LPBs April 2023
  ABS 2023 Factsheet (PDF, 1 page, 113kb) FRAs, LPBs April 2023
  ABS 2021/22 Factsheet (PDF, 1 page, 119kb) FRAs, LPBs May 2022
Double accrual guarantee (HTML) FRAs, LPBs May 2021
  Explanation of terms (PDF, 3 pages, 139kb) FRAs, LPBs April 2020
ABS 2020 template and notes (Word, 12 pages, 134kb) FRAs, LPBs April 2020
  ABS 2019 template and notes (Word, 29 pages, 157kb) FRAs, LPBs June 2019
ABS 2018 template and notes (Word, 29 pages, 158kb) FRAs, LPBs June 2018

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Data scoring Advice on TPR data scoring 2023 - clean (PDF, 20 pages, 378kb) FRAs, LPBs, Administrators May 2023
  Advice on TPR data scoring 2023 - tracked (PDF, 20 pages, 399kb) FRAs, LPBs, Administrators May 2023
  Advice on TPR data scoring 2019 - clean (PDF, 15 pages, 382kb) FRAs, LPBs, Administrators October 2019
  Advice on TPR data scoring 2019 - tracked (PDF, 19 pages, 396kb) FRAs, LPBs, Administrators October 2019
  Data score weighting template 2019 (xlsx, 13kb) FRAs, LPBs, Administrators October 2019
  Illustrative data requirements for TPR data scoring (PDF, 12 pages, 356kb) FRAs, LPBs, Administrators August 2018

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Disclosure Guide to Disclosure of Information requirements (PDF, 13 pages, 376kb) FRAs, LPBs  July 2018

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date

Discretions

Full list of discretions available to scheme managers in the FPS (PDF, 82 pages, 990kb) FRAs, LPBs  July 2018

 

FPS 1992 discretions and table of delegations (Word, 19 pages, 290kb)

FRAs, LPBs  July 2018

 

FPS 2006 discretions and table of delegations  (Word, 19 pages, 292kb)

FRAs, LPBs

 July 2018

 

FPS 2015 discretions and table of delegations (Word, 18 pages, 245kb) FRAs, LPBs  July 2018

 

FCS discretions and table of delegations  (Word, 15 pages, 203kb) FRAs, LPBs  July 2018

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Finance and funding FPS forecasting guidance (PDF, 22 pages, 620kb) FRAs, Finance July 2019
  Guidance for FRAs on new financial arrangements for firefighter pensions with effect from April 2006 (PDF, 40 pages, 423kb) FRAs, Finance August 2006 
  Annex D: Actuarial data required for setting contribution rates (PDF, 5 pages, 151kb)    

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date

Forms

Election to join (Word, 1 page, 19.2kb) FRAs  December 2019

 

FPS 1992 notes on opting out (Word, 2 pages, 23.3kb) FRAs  December 2018
  FPS 2006 (standard member) notes on opting out (Word, 2 pages, 22.7kb) FRAs  December 2018
  FPS 2006 (special member) notes on opting out (Word, 2 pages, 23kb) FRAs  December 2018
  FPS 2015 notes on opting out (Word, 3 pages, 23.5kb) FRAs  December 2018
  Election to opt out (Word, 2 pages, 17.6kb) FRAs  December 2018

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date

FPS administration strategy

Template FPS administration strategy (Word, 23 pages, 217kb) FRAs, Administrators  July 2021
  FPS administration strategy consultation response (PDF, 8 pages, 208kb) FRAs, Administrators  July 2021

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date

GDPR

Template privacy notice for FRAs as Data Controllers (Word, 8 pages, 57kb) FRAs  May 2018
  Notes on use/ adaptation of the template privacy notice (PDF, 7 pages, 331kb) FRAs  May 2018

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
IDRP IDRP factsheet (PDF, 6 pages, 247kb) FRAs June 2020

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Industrial Action Industrial Action letter template (PDF, 3 pages, 129kb) FRAs April 2023

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
 Lifetime Allowance Lifetime Allowance factsheet for members (PDF, 1 page, 194kb) Scheme members April 2023
  Lifetime Allowance factsheet for members (Word, 8 pages, 79.1kb) Scheme members February 2021
  Lifetime Allowance factsheet for members (Word, 8 pages, 71kb) Scheme members May 2019

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Member guides FPS 2015 Added Pension - factsheet and election form (Word, 3 pages, 130kb)  Scheme members  April 2020
  Member guide to pensions tax by Mark Belchamber, Income for the Third Age Scheme members  July 2019
  SI 2019/378 - Leaflet for communicating scheme changes to members (Word, 3 pages, 93kb) Scheme members  May 2019
  Retirement from FPS 2015 - member factsheet (PDF, 3 pages, 330kb) Scheme members  December 2018
  SI 2018/997 - Leaflet for communicating scheme changes to members (Word, 3 pages, 92kb) Scheme members  November 2018

 

Short guide to FPS 2015 (Word, 11 pages, 66kb) Scheme members  29 November 2023

The Pension Scheme Tax Reference (PSTR) is the unique reference allocated by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) when the scheme has been successfully registered for tax relief and exemptions.

The documents in this section are scanned copies of letters from HMRC confirming registration and giving the PSTR numbers.

Each FRA as sub-scheme administrator also has a unique PSTR.

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Pension Scheme Tax Reference Pension Scheme Tax Reference - FPS 1992 (PDF, 1 page, 31.6kb)

FRAs Administrators

 
  Pension Scheme Tax Reference - FPS 2006 (PDF, 1 page, 177kb) FRAs Administrators  
  Pension Scheme Tax Reference - FPS 2015 (PDF, 2 pages, 478kb) FRAs Administrators  

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date

Retirement decision trees

Benefit flowchart for an FPS 2015 member with 1992 transitional benefits (PDF, 1 page, 273kb)

FRAs     Scheme members

 September 2018
  Benefit flowchart for an FPS 2015 member with standard 2006 transitional benefits (PDF, 1 page, 244kb)

FRAs     Scheme members

 September 2018

  Benefit flowchart for an FPS 2015 member with special 2006 transitional benefits (PDF, 1 page, 250kb)

FRAs     Scheme members

 September 2018

  Benefit flowchart for a member with FPS 2015 benefits only (PDF, 1 page, 309kb)

FRAs     Scheme members

 September 2018

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Scheme pays Voluntary Scheme Pays (VSP) guidance (PDF, 12 pages, 479kb) FRAs Administrators  January 2018
  VSP election form - member (PDF, 2 pages, 71kb) Scheme members  January 2018
  VSP election form - scheme manager (PDF, 1 page, 10kb) FRAs  January 2018
  Guidance on proportioning the scheme pays debit (PDF, 3 pages, 292kb) FRAs Administrators  January 2018

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Technical notes Restricting exit payments in the public sector (PDF, 7 pages, 264kb) FRAs  May 2019
  2019 amendment orders (PDF, 4 pages, 362kb) FRAs  March 2019
  2018 amendment orders (PDF, 6 pages, 272kb) FRAs  September 2018
  Taxable treatment of Ill-Health pension paid from the compensation scheme (PDF, 5 pages, 299kb) FRAs  September 2017
  2017 amendment orders (PDF, 20 pages, 553kb) FRAs  September 2017

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Transfers QROPS Spring Budget 2017 information (PDF, 4 pages, 99.4kb)

Administrators Scheme members

 March 2017

Topic Document and description Intended audience Publication date
Two pensions Two pension award case study

FRAs Administrators

 September 2021
  Entitlement to two pensions factsheet FRAs Administrators  April 2019