Agenda item

27.1        The Committee considered a report introduced by Paul Punter who drew the Committee’s attention to the following points:

KPIs:

1)    The format of the Performance reports has changed in line with the discussion at the Pension Board and Pension Committee meetings in June 2024 where a draft of the new format was presented.

2)    Two new columns will be added to future performance reports to show the average time taken, and the longest time taken in relation to tasks completed outside of the SLA time. These additional details will be included from August 2024.

3)    It was discovered some members of the team had not been setting tasks to “reply due” correctly. Where the task is awaiting an external response (e.g. from a member or their adviser who need to say complete a form) the SLA clock should be paused. As a result of this finding and work carried out to resolve and ensure the system is being used correctly in the future the SLA performance could be understated and it is hoped that the data will show an improvement.

4)    This is the first time the data has been captured in the current reporting form; the Committee questioned whether once a target had not been met whether it was de-prioritised to ensure other targets met. Committee were assured this was not the case and when a target was not met the task continued to be actively worked on to ensure any missed targets were by the least number of days possible in the circumstances. 

Helpdesk

5)  Due to the transition into an inhouse team the reportable information relating to service delivery has reduced. The Fund can no longer determine the Call Answer Time or the Abandoned Call Rate. While members can still dial both the Main Helpline and Website Helpline numbers, they now both feed into a single Hunt Group so we can no longer differentiate between the call types. The roll out of the telephony upgrade is awaited, new data has been included about an email survey option members can choose to use which shows positive results. It was further recognised the report needs to be summarised on a page going forwards.

6)  A full team is now in place with expanded duties as many tasks have been digitalised.

Projects

7)  Annual Benefit Statements (ABS) have been issued with just over 99% for both active and deferred members achieved. Best results in the last 5 years. BHCC statements totalled just under 7.5k and of these only 48 could not be completed. The University of Brighton is not on i-Connect, however only 1 could not be completed.

 Pensions Dashboard

8)    Heywood Altair Insights dashboard report has been used to identify both the gaps in data but also to validate of the data present.

9)    Heywood are the appointed and contracted Integrated Service Provider and a project plan has been created, with a two phase approach proposed to conclude by 31.10.25, the LGPS formal staging date.

Mortality checks

    9)  There circa 600 overseas pensioners which are contacted bi-annually to check their mortally, with about two-thirds contacted by email and the remainder by post. Overseas pensioners are required to complete a form, appropriately witnessed and returned within a few months. In late August 2024, chasers we issued to the outstanding 46 members which advised if the completed form is not returned by end of September their pensions will be suspended.

27.2     The Committee RESOLVED to note the report.