Support for your members

The 'Roadshows' are very popular with employers as they give members the opportunity to speak with Fund officers on a drop-in basis at their workplace without needing to provide a room.

Roadshow events provide members with an opportunity to engage with Fund Officers regarding their pension benefits. The team has a purpose-built exhibition vehicle which is maintained and driven by Fund Officers and can be taken out to employers across the region. Members can come and see the team at any time throughout the event. Literature is provided for members to take away, this includes general information on the Local Government Pension Scheme, how to register for Pensions Portal, information on AVC's and much more. We can assist employers in advertising events by providing e-posters or wording for intranet sites in advance to fully promote the roadshows.

(Please note that fund representatives can only give information, therefore, if members require financial advice they should seek the services of an independent financial advisor).

Roadshow Bus dimensions:

The roadshow bus is 8m long (with an additional 2m ramp) and 2.15m high, weighs 3.880 tonnes and takes up 8 car parking spaces, it is self contained and has it's own power supply.

Remember our services are provided FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pension Fund.

To book an event today please contact the Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk

The 'Individual Pension Consultations' provide an opportunity for members to speak to a Fund officer in confidence about their pension benefits at their place of work. To book this event we will require a minimum of 6 appointments.

Individual Pension Consultations provide an opportunity for members to speak in confidence about their pension benefits. These meetings take place at your organisation and normally last around 30 minutes. They include a health check of a member's record, an update of their current pension benefits and where they are likely to be at their normal retirement age. If members have access to their Pension Portal account (a link is always sent prior to the event), we can assist them in producing pension estimates to aid their retirement planning. We can also help with any other pension concerns they may have.

(Please note that fund representatives can only give information, therefore, if members require financial advice they should seek the services of an independent financial advisor).

Remember our services are provided FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pensions Fund.

To book an event today please Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk

As part of your employee wellbeing strategy, if you hold Marketplace or Health & Wellbeing Events to highlight the support which is available to employees, the Member Services Team are happy to attend to provide valuable information to members about their pension benefits.

We are regularly asked to attend Job Fairs and Training and Information days.

Remember, our services are provided FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pension Fund.

To book an event today please Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk

The team offers face-to-face drop-in sessions in a location within your workplace, where members can attend at a time convenient to them, on a first-come-first-serve basis.

This allows members to discuss any aspect of their pension and pick up general pension literature.

Remember, our services are provided FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pension Fund.

To book an event today please Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk

The 'Pensions Portal Workshops' are an excellent way to get members signed up and help them navigate around Pensions Portal.

The Pensions Portal workshops are an excellent way to assist members to register for Pensions Portal. The aim of this support is to help members navigate and familiarise themselves around the Fund's self-service platform. This is done as either a structured group workshop if you have facilities where members can register and log on to their Pensions Portal or we can offer a drop-in service for members to attend when convenient to them on a first-come-first-serve basis.

We will give guidance to:

• Assist members to register & activate their account.
• Help members view their Annual Benefit Statement.
• Enable members to produce estimates of benefits.
• Assist members who are having difficulties with their Pensions Portal accounts.
• Inform members of the ability to update their personal details through Pensions Portal.
• Inform members how to contact the Fund interactively through Pensions Portal.

(Please note that fund representatives can only give information, therefore, if the members require financial advice they should seek the services of a financial advisor)

Remember our services are provided FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pensions Fund.

To book an event today please Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk

We appreciate that one size doesn't fit all, so if our current range of events doesn't fulfil your requirements, the team will endeavour to work with you to design bespoke support for the specific purpose of the event.

Remember our services are provided FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pensions Fund.

To book an event today please Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk

The 'Introduction to the LGPS' presentation is aimed at staff who may be thinking of joining the scheme or may have recently joined. To book this event we will require a minimum of 10 attendees.

Our aim is to educate members about the Local Government Pension Scheme by highlighting the benefits of being a member of the scheme. The topics we cover in this presentation are:

• How to join the LGPS
• How much it costs to join the scheme and employer contributions
• The benefits of being a member of the scheme
• How a member's pension benefits will be built up
• When members can retire
• How members can increase their benefits through Additional Pension Contributions (APC's) or Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC's)
• Transferring pension benefits from another scheme
• Promote the benefits of our online Pensions Portal

At the end of the presentation there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask any pension questions to our friendly and experienced Member Relationship Officers who are always happy to help.

(Please note that fund representatives can only give information, therefore, if members require financial advice they should seek the services of an independent financial advisor)

Feedback we have received from our members on the 'Introduction to the LGPS' presentation:

• "Thanks, a very good presentation".
• "I wasn't aware of how much the employer pays on top of my contributions, so was good to know".
• "Covered with great detail, swift and precise".

Remember our services are provided FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pensions Fund.

To book an event today please Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk

The 'LGPS & You' presentation is our most popular presentation and is aimed at all members of the pension scheme. To book this event we will require a minimum of 10 attendees.

Our aim is to take the member on a journey from joining the scheme to retirement. The topics we cover in this presentation are:

• The benefits of being a member of the scheme
• How a member's pension benefits are built up (covers all LGPS changes before 1^st April 2014)
• The different retirement options available to the member
• How members can increase their benefits through Additional Pension Contributions (APC's) or Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC's)
• Transferring pension benefits from another scheme
• Leaving the pension scheme before retirement age
• Understanding their Annual Benefit Statement
• Promote the benefits of our online Pensions Portal

At the end of the presentation there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask any pension questions to our friendly and experienced Member Relationship Officers who are always happy to help.

(Please note that fund representatives can only give information, therefore, if members require financial advice they should seek the services of an independent financial advisor)

Feedback we have received from our members on the 'LGPS & You' presentation:

• "Complicated issues explained very well".
• "Clearly explained, great presentation. To arrange this presentation more often".
• "Fantastic information and very knowledgeable".
• "Presented really well, lots of relevant information given and taken on board. Thank you was brilliant".

Remember our services are provided FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pensions Fund.

To book an event today please call 01902 551869 or Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk

The 'At Risk' presentation is there to support members of staff who may find themselves in a redundancy or redeployment situation, to book this event we will require a minimum of 10 attendees.

Our aim is to outline the facts members need to know to help them make important decisions about their future. The topics we cover in this presentation are:

• How a member's pension benefits are built up (covers all LGPS changes before 1st April 2014)
• The different retirement options available to the member
• Taking tax-free cash from your pension
• Understanding how a members pension increases each year after they have left the scheme
• Leaving the pension scheme before retirement age
• The retirement process
• Things to keep us informed about when the member receives their pension
• What happens to a members pension if their salary goes down
• Promote the benefits of our online Pensions Portal

At the end of the presentation there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask any pension questions to our friendly and experienced Member Relationship Officers who are always happy to help.

(Please note that fund representatives can only give information, therefore, if members require financial advice they should seek the services of an independent financial advisor).

Feedback we have received from our members on the 'At Risk' presentation:

• "Very helpful. Thank You"
• "Very helpful. Information makes a difference"
• "All aspects covered. Very clear and could answer all questions, was very useful talk"
• "Clear info which was relevant to my current situation".

Remember our services are provided FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pensions Fund.

To book an event today please Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk

The 'Pension Tax' presentation is aimed at members who earn over £50,000 a year to provide an overview on pension saving limits. 

Our aim is to give members an overview of pension tax and to make them aware of lifetime and annual allowance which could have an impact on their pension. The topics we cover in this presentation are:

• Lifetime Allowance
  • How a member's pension benefits are built up (covers all LGPS changes before 1^st April 2014)
  • How Capital Value is calculated
  • What happens if you exceed Lifetime Allowance
• Annual Allowance
  • Understanding Annual Allowance
  • What happens when you exceed Annual Allowance
  • Tapered Annual Allowance

At the end of the presentation there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask any pension questions to our friendly and experienced Member Relationship Officers who are always happy to help.

(Please note that fund representatives can only give information, therefore, if members require financial advice they should seek the services of an independent financial advisor).

Feedback we have received from our members on the 'Pension Tax' presentation:

• "Very good presentation and informative".
• "Right pace and content".
• "Great overview and food for thought".
• "Very clearly explained".

Remember our services are provided FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pensions Fund.

To book an event today please Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk

The 'Pre-Retirement' presentation is aimed at members who are within 5 years of retirement age. To book this event we will require a minimum of 10 attendees.

Our aim is to cover general scheme information to prepare and assist members to make an informed decision about when they can retire and the process of becoming a pensioner of the Fund. The topics we cover in this presentation are:

• How a member's pension benefits have been built up (covers all LGPS changes before 1^1st April 2014)
• Taking tax-free cash
• The different retirement options available to the member
• How members can increase their benefits through Additional Pension Contributions (APC's) or Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC's)
• Starting and completing the retirement process
• Payment of member's benefits
• What happens after the member accesses their pension
• Promote the benefits of our online Pensions Portal

At the end of the presentation there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask any pension questions to our friendly and experienced Member Relationship Officers who are always happy to help.

(Please note that fund representatives can only give information, therefore, if members require financial advice they should seek the services of an independent financial advisor).

Feedback we have received from our members on the 'Pre-Retirement' presentation:

• "Overall very good presentation. Food for thought, a lot of homework!!".
• "All of the presentation was relevant to me. I am really glad I attended. It has given me some clear understanding of retirement/pension".
• "An excellent presentation. Very informative".
• "Fully explained lots of questions I had in mind. Clear, concise and understandable"

Remember our services are provided FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pensions Fund.

To book an event today please Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk

The 'Planning Your Retirement Workshop' is aimed at members who are aged 50 and over who have a keen interest in how they can plan towards their retirement and gather information they may need to prepare for retirement.

The workshops are approximately two and a half hours long and officers can deliver one or two sessions in a day to a minimum of 10 attendees and a maximum of 20 per session.

The workshop covers:

• How LGPS benefits are calculated (via an interactive session).
• An overview of retirement options.
• Starting and completing the retirement process.
• State pension information.
• Planning your retirement.
• Taxation.

Throughout the session there will be an opportunity for the attendees to ask any pension questions to our friendly and experienced Member Relationship Officers who are always happy to help.

(Please note that fund representatives can only give information, therefore, if members require financial advice they should seek the services of an independent financial advisor).

Feedback we have received from members who have attended previous workshops:

• "Nothing to improve. Interactive and involvement".
• "Having worksheets & talking it through with advisors was very useful. Very well explained & advisors willing to assist".
• "I can plan better and decide to retire with more information".

Remember our services are FREE OF CHARGE to employers of the West Midlands Pensions Fund.

To book an event today please Email: wmpfevents@wolverhampton.gov.uk