Becoming a fund employer

As per the LGPS Regulations, an administering authority may make an admission agreement with:

1. a body which provides a public service in the United Kingdom otherwise than for the purposes of gain and has sufficient links with a scheme employer for the body and the scheme employer to be regarded as having a community of interest, whether because the operations of the body are dependent on the operations of the scheme employer or otherwise, or
2. a body to the funds of which any scheme employer contributes, or
3. a body which provides or will provide a service or assets in connection with the exercise of a function of a scheme employer as a result of:
   • the transfer of the service or assets by means of a contract or other arrangement.

Prior to admission body application, please liaise with the scheme employer to determine:

• Contract approach (i.e., pass-through or non-pass-through)
• Bond requirement

For further details regarding the application procedure and the approaches that can be adopted, please see the Admission Body Fact Sheet in the Downloads section.

Information required by us to process an admission body application:

• Completion of Admission Body Application form (found in the Downloads section)
• Applying organisations Memorandum and Articles of Association
• Applying organisations last three years' report and accounts
• Details of staff transferring via a bulk file layout (template found in the Downloads section). The same bulk file layout will need to be completed by the former employer for Fund reference.

Please send all relevant documentation to WMPFEmployerliaison2@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Please note you will not be a scheme employer until the admission agreement and bond (if applicable) has been signed by the appropriate parties, a draft copy of the admission agreement and bond can be found in the Downloads section.

Should you require further information regarding non-pass-through agreements, please contact the Fund on the email address noted above.

An academy is automatically a Scheme employer upon conversion.

LGPS Regulation 2013 Definition

A proprietor of an academy within the meaning of section 579 (general interpretation) of the Education Act 1996 who has entered into academy arrangement within the meaning of section 1 (academy arrangements) of the Academies Act 2010.

The Fund needs the following information to process a school conversion to an academy:

• Academy Questionnaire (found in the Downloads Section)
• Secretary of State for Education - Academy Order
• Applying trusts Memorandum and Articles of Association: A draft version of this document is acceptable if the final document is not available.
• Details of staff transferring via a bulk file layout (template found in the Downloads section). The same bulk file layout will need to be completed by the former employer for Fund reference.

Please submit the required information to WMPFEmployerliaison2@wolverhampton.gov.uk so that the academy can be processed.

Academy Employer Rate

One single primary and secondary contribution rate (expressed as a percentage of pensionable payroll) will be applied to the payroll of each academy within the relevant MAT pool, payable to the WMPF. You may wish to liaise directly with the associated Multi-Academy Trust for confirmation of the contribution rate to be applied upon conversion.

Designating bodies are employers that can designate employees for access to the LGPS. The main types of designating bodies are listed below, however this list is not exhaustive:

• Town and parish councils
• Voluntary, Foundation and Federated schools
• University Subsidiaries

In addition to sending an email to the Fund to confirm required scheme admittance, the following documentation is required:

• For Parish Councils
  • Minutes from internal meeting, including the names, class of employees or roles of employees designated to join
  • Last three years financial statements
     
• Other designating bodies (e.g., University subsidiaries)
  • Details of staff transferring via a bulk file layout (template found in the Downloads section).
  • Memorandum and Articles of Association: A draft version of this document is acceptable if the final document is not available.

If you require a guarantor agreement, please contact us at WMPFEmployerliaison2@wolverhampton.gov.uk