The LGA, DCLG and DFE have produced a document advising schools of their pension obligations, whether they are an academy or thinking about converting to an academy
In conjunction with the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education, the Local Government Association has today published Local Government Pension Scheme – arrangements for academies. This is intended for schools considering conversion to academy status, academy trusts, multi-academy trusts and administering authorities.
Contents of the paper include guidance for academy trusts on preparing to be an Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) employer; their role and responsibilities post conversion; the position of multi-academy trusts in the scheme; pooling arrangements; understanding scheme deficits; outsourcing services; the Department for Education guarantee and academy re-brokerage.
Although the advice given in the paper is intended to have wide application across the 79 LGPS funds in England, some variation in policy and approach across all the funds and their advisers is inevitable. Schools engaged in conversion are therefore encouraged to contact their local fund as early as possible in the process and seek assistance from independent professional advisors retained by them for the purpose