Support for employers

Employer Training Sessions

Employer Services can offer a comprehensive suite of on-site and off-site coaching sessions to help you and your staff carry out the day-to-day administration of the scheme.

Free to attend, the sessions will be useful both as a refresher for existing staff, or an introduction to processes for those that are new to Fund administration. If you would like to book on any of the sessions, just click the relevant date to be taken straight to the booking page. A link to the webinar will be sent to you in the Eventbrite confirmation email; please save this, otherwise you will not be able to access the webinar.

If you have never used Adobe Connect before you may find our Webinar Etiquette and Troubleshooting, in the Downloads section, useful.

Introduction to LGPS (I9)

Suitable for Payroll/Pensions Administrators, HR Officers and anyone else who wants to learn more about the LGPS, this session will give you an overview of the scheme and outline employer roles and responsibilities in the scheme.

Date/Time: Wednesday 4th June. In-house 10am – 16:00pm
Date/Time: Tuesday 16th September, in-house 10am – 16:00pm
Date/Time: Thursday 13th November, in-house 10am – 16:00pm

WMPF: Submitting Interfaces (Standard and Leaver/Retirement)

This session is ideal for new administrators or employers, as well as those who would like a refresher. It will provide a step-by-step guide on navigating and using the Employer Self-Service (ESS) portal effectively, ensuring you understand key processes and functionalities.

Date/Time: Thursday 22nd May, 10am – 11:30am

Ill health retirements (Webinar)

Suitable for HR officers, senior managers, payroll/pension administrators/managers in all of our employer organisations, this comprehensive session will guide you step-by-step through the ill-health retirement process from when your own internal management of attendance process concludes that a member is recommended to pursue retirement on the grounds of ill health.

Date/Time: Monday 14th July, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Wednesday 10th September, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Thursday 27th November, 10am – 11:30am

WMPF: Deaths

All about Death notifications and how they are processed.

Date/Time: Wednesday 27th August, 10am – 11:30am

Employer Discretions (Webinar)

The Local Government Pension Scheme regulations require employers who participate in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) to draw up and publish a discretions policy and to keep it under review. Discretions are powers that enable employers to choose how to apply the scheme in respect of certain provisions. There are a number of discretions that employers may have a policy in relation to; five of which are mandatory. This session will give employers an overview about the discretions that should be included in a policy and give you the information that you need to help you formulate your own organisational discretionary policy.

Date/Time: Thursday 26th June, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Tuesday 21st October, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Wednesday 26th November, 10am – 11:30am

Monthly Submissions (Webinar)

Our Monthly Submissions session will guide you through the Employer-Self Service (ESS) process. This session provides a comprehensive overview of the monthly submission process, offering insights into key data requirements, compliance expectations, to ensure accuracy and efficiency in your submissions.

Date/Time: Thursday 11th September, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Wednesday 10th December, 10am – 11:30am

Understanding Pay & Service in the LGPS (Webinar)

New or existing payroll and pension administrators will find this session particularly useful, as it will cover exactly what pay information you need to include on your monthly submissions and leaver/retirement notifications.

Date/Time: Wednesday 11th June, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Friday 26th September, 10am – 11:30am

Estimates and Early Retirement Costs (Webinar)

Before you process any redundancy/business efficiency retirements, grant flexible retirements, or waive any actuarial reductions for members, we advise that an estimate is run through Employer Self-Service to establish any potential costs to the employer. This session will show you how to do just that.

Date/Time: Tuesday 1st July, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Wednesday 8th October, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Monday 8th December, 10am – 11:30am

Leavers – Refunds and Deferments (Webinar)

All about refunds, deferments and opting out.

Date/Time: Friday 16th May, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Thursday 28th August, 10am – 11:30am

TUPE, Tenders & Pass-Through Arrangements (Webinar)

This session is aimed at guarantors (for example, Local Authorities, Academy Trusts), or contractors who are looking to bid for contracts with one of the organisations. It will guide you through the regulations applicable to becoming an admission body, and WMPF's arrangements and requirements.

Date/Time: Thursday 15th May, 2pm – 3pm

Assumed Pensionable Pay (APP) (Webinar)

When is APP applied? How is it calculated and how is it applied/reported?

Date/Time: Wednesday 1st October, 10am – 11:30am

Retirements (Webinar)

This session will explain the retirement process from the start of a member retiring voluntarily or based on an employer decision up to the payment of the pension benefits by the pension fund.

Date/Time: Friday 17th October, 10am – 11:30am

APC/AVC’s Increasing benefits (Webinar)

This session will introduce the options that are available for an LGPS member to increase their pension benefits and how these processes managed by both employers and WMPF.

Date/Time: Friday 9th May, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Wednesday 5th November, 10am – 11:30am

Roles & Responsibilities of an Employer (Webinar)

Legislation dictates minimum standards that pension schemes should meet in providing certain pieces of information to the various parties associated with the LGPS. In addition, regulatory guidance sets out a number of requirements for the Fund and scheme employers to provide information to each other, scheme members and prospective scheme members, dependents, other pension arrangements or other regulatory bodies. This session will set out what those expectations are, and will tell you how to meet them.

Date/Time: Monday 16th June, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Monday 15th December, 10am – 11:30am

ESS Navigation (Webinar)

This session will cover ESS navigation and how to run available reports.

Date/Time: Monday 7th July, 10am – 11:30am
Date/Time: Wednesday 3rd December, 10am – 11:30am

*WMPF reserve the right to cancel webinars where uptake is low. If it becomes necessary to cancel a webinar we will endeavour to offer alternative dates, where available*

We also offer bespoke training sessions to employers if they have a number of staff that require training in any particular area (not necessarily one of those listed above). Please let us know on the email address below if this would be of interest to you.

If you are unsure which sessions would be suitable for you, please call us on 0300 111 6516 or email WMPFEmployerLiaison2@wolverhampton.gov.uk.

Feedback from attendees is always appreciated and suggestions for further topics are welcome.

Employer Training Sessions 2025

Date	Subject	Webinar/I9
May-25
Thursday 22/5/2025	Submitting Interfaces (Standard and Leaver/Retirement)	Webinar

Jun-25
Wednesday 04/06/2025	Introduction to LGPS	i9
Wednesday 11/06/2025	Understanding Pay & Service in the LGPS	Webinar
Friday 13/06/2025	APC/AVC's (Increasing benefits)	Webinar
Monday 16/06/2025	Roles & Responsibilities of an Employer	Webinar
Thursday 26/06/2025	Employer Discretions	Webinar

Jul-25
Tuesday 01/07/2025	Estimates and Early Retirement Costs (ERC)	Webinar
Monday 07/07/2025	ESS navigation	Webinar
Monday 14/07/2025	Ill Health retirements	Webinar
Tuesday 15/07/2025	Understanding your Accounting Disclosures	Webinar

Aug-25
Wednesday 27/08/2025	Deaths	Webinar
Thursday 28/08/2025	Leavers - Refunds and deferment's	Webinar

Sep-25
Wednesday 10/09/2025	Ill Health retirements	Webinar
Thursday 11/09/2025	Monthly Submissions	Webinar
Tuesday 16/09/2025	Introduction to LGPS	i9
Friday 26/09/2025	Understanding Pay & Service in the LGPS	Webinar

Oct-25
Wednesday 01/10/2025	Assumed Pensionable Pay (APP)	Webinar
Wednesday 08/10/2025	Estimates and Early Retirement Costs (ERC)	Webinar
Friday 17/10/2025	Retirements	Webinar
Tuesday 21/10/2025	Employer Discretions	Webinar

Nov-25
Wednesday 05/11/2025	APC/AVC's (Increasing benefits)	Webinar
Thursday 13/11/2025	Introduction to LGPS	i9
Wednesday 26/11/2025	Employer Discretions	Webinar
Thursday 27/11/2025	Ill Health retirements	Webinar

Dec-25
Wednesday 03/12/2025	ESS navigation	Webinar
Monday 08/12/2025	Estimates and Early Retirement Costs (ERC)	Webinar
Wednesday 10/12/2025	Monthly Submissions	Webinar
Monday 15/12/2025	Roles & Responsibilities of an Employer	Webinar

AGM/MYR

The Fund hosts employer events on a bi-annual basis and invites all employers to attend a half-day session to learn about the LGPS industry which includes topical presentations and interaction sessions.

For further information on the day, please email WMPFEmployerLiaison2@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Peer Group

If you would like to register your interest or obtain further information, please review the 2022/23 Employer Peer Group Terms of Reference (below) or feel free to contact the Employer Services Team.

This is a group of employer representatives who meet on a quarterly basis and discuss new initiatives and changes to the scheme processes and policies. The group provide valuable feedback to help shape the Fund's services.

Employer Peer Group - Terms of reference

The Employer Peer Group consists of a group of representatives from across the Fund’s employer base e.g., District Councils,
educational establishments, private companies and other participating organisations. The group discusses a range of topics
(based on an agreed agenda) such as the legal obligations of scheme employers, ongoing or topical issues and upcoming events.

Primary purposes of the group

To enable the Fund to work collaboratively with employers
To share best practice
To discuss current pensions issues and their impact on the WMPF/LGPS/wider Pensions Industry
To encourage engagement between the Peer Group (representing Fund Employers) and the Fund to improve the exchange of data and communication.
Provide feedback to the Fund to assist them when implementing improvements

Meeting information

Peer Group is usually held at the Fund offices (i9 – Wolverhampton) however, sessions can also be attended via the online platform, Microsoft Teams, when circumstances require (see ‘virtual meeting etiquette’).
At least three Fund representatives will attend each meeting, to include specialist presenters on set topics as required. In the event of employee representation via Microsoft Teams, a meeting organiser will also be appointed.
Membership of the group is open to all scheme employers via an expression of interest.
The membership and attendance of the group will be reviewed annually or at such a point as required.
Depending on attendee availability, and content for discussion, it is anticipated that each session will last for 2 to 3 hours.
Common roles of the employee representatives include: Payroll, Human Resources, Finance, Pension staff, along with any other staff who liaise with the Fund on a regular basis or have a strategic role within their organisation.
Minimum number of attendees: 7 (if attendance is lower than the minimum number, the Fund will consider rescheduling the meeting); Maximum number of attendees: 20.
Attendance is limited to 1 representative per organisation (2 representatives will be considered with prior notification in circumstances such as shadow working, personal development and change of job role etc).
Notification of non-attendance must be given one week in advance of the scheduled meeting. In such circumstances, a substitute is expected to attend.

Virtual meeting etiquette

Check that the computer/laptop used to join the meeting is functioning. Check that headphones (if required), microphones, internet connection, etc. are all up and running prior to the meeting start time.
Be ready to start a few minutes ahead of time to ensure the meeting can begin on the scheduled start time.
Mute the microphone unless you wish to contribute to the conversation (in which case, see below)
During the meeting, you can raise a virtual hand to let all participants know, including the meeting organiser, you wish to contribute without interrupting the ongoing conversation. The meeting organiser will then confirm, at the appropriate time, when the microphone can be unmuted, and the conversation can begin based on the order in which the virtual hands were raised.

How are the items for the agenda generated?

The Fund will forward an invitation in the first quarter of the scheme year for each of the planned Peer Group meeting dates.
The agenda will be issued to the Peer Group no later than 1 week prior to the scheduled meeting.
The Fund will produce a meeting summary and action points for circulation amongst the group no later than one month after the meeting.

How will information be relayed from the group to the wider employer base?

Employer brief (circulated to all employers on a quarterly basis)
Annual survey (potential inclusion of discussion points in questions)
AGM (Annual General Meeting) and MYR (Mid-Year Review)
Fund’s website
Peer Group minutes will be available to all scheme employers upon request

WEST MIDLANDS PENSION FUND