Academies are recognised in the LGPS regulations as scheme employers and automatically participate in the scheme.
Following the introduction of the Academies Act 2010, schools which convert to academy status assume responsibility for maintaining the pension provision for their staff from the date of conversion.
In line with the Act, it is compulsory for a new academy to become an LGPS employer. As such, Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council local authority schools join Derbyshire Pension Fund on conversion.
Although the new academy becomes an LGPS employer automatically, the process is reliant on the academy (or its trust) providing us with some important information at the point of conversion. This information includes details of all the staff who are contributing to the LGPS the day before conversion and all those who newly joined the LGPS upon conversion, including those joined through automatic enrolment.
It is also a statutory requirement for the academy (or trust) to supply us with:
- main contact details for those administering the new academy
- the name of an adjudicator for the purpose of appeals
- details of those authorised to perform specific duties in relation to the LGPS
- the academy's LGPS employer discretions policy
These requirements form part of the new legal responsibilities that the academy will have as a Local Government Pension Scheme employer.