Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service Local Pension Board - 27 January 2026

The meeting began with a confirmation that no members had any declarations of interest. A motion moved by Deborah Goodreid and seconded by Stephen Miles was passed, resolving that the minutes of the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Local Pension Board meeting held on 21 October 2025 were correctly recorded and should be signed by the Chairman.

The Pension Benefits Manager delivered the Business Update report and accompanying appendices. The update highlighted five high‑risk areas identified in the risk register: (1) potential breaches of data‑protection requirements linked to the Council’s modern‑working policy; (2) an upward trend in ill‑health or injury retirements; (3) the workload associated with the McCloud Age‑Discrimination Remedy; (4) the extension of the 2006 Special Member (RDS) exercise following the O’Brien vs MDJ case, known as the Matthews Second Options exercise, which requires additional Council staff resources; and (5) local implications of the High Court ruling that followed the Pension Ombudsman’s decision on pensionable pay.

A specific operational issue discussed was the inclusion of Remedial Service Statements in the Annual Benefit Statements for firefighters eligible for the Age‑Discrimination remedy. The statements must be sent to all active and deferred scheme members by 31 August each year, but the added technical detail has increased workload, raised the risk of member confusion, and generated additional queries that could lead to future claims based on incorrect information.

The board also reviewed the rise in complaints and Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure appeals linked to the Matthews Exercise, attributing the increase to member confusion about the exercise’s scope and to slow response times caused by limited team resources. Finally, the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s formal response to the consultation on Retained Firefighters’ Pensions was noted, with an extended final deadline of 31 March 2027 for new cases. The consultation proposes changes to conversion options for deferred members, and to the allocation of Death Grants and Survivor Lump Sums to surviving partners and children rather than estates. The board reported that 5–10 cases are being processed each month, with roughly 27 % of the total workload completed; however, progress is hampered by outdated contact information, which incurs an average tracing cost of £25 per person.