Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service Local Pension Board - 5 May 2026

The Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Local Pension Board confirmed that there were no declarations of interest at the meeting and formally approved the minutes from the 27 January 2026 session, with the Chairman’s signature to be obtained. The Business Update, presented by the Pension Benefits Manager, included a brief overview of membership statistics for newer board members and introduced a new Government‑mandated opt‑out form, which will be used by both Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) to record reasons for members leaving the pension schemes.

Communications to scheme members regarding recent contribution‑rate changes will be issued shortly, comprising individual letters and a central corporate notice. The Board also addressed the Matthews Second Option exercise, noting that all eligible members will be contacted about the 2026 regulatory changes and associated deadlines. A future discussion will consider whether to impose time limits on individuals who have been contacted but do not respond, provided reasonable contact attempts have been made.

A significant operational concern was raised about meeting the deadline for producing Remedial Service Statements (RSS). The Board acknowledged that delivering RSS on schedule will be challenging and may require temporarily suspending other work. To support this effort, additional software updates, data loads, and cleansing activities are being implemented, and relevant information will be included in forthcoming communications to reduce member queries. The Board also agreed that a letter of explanation will be sent to any member who does not receive an RSS by 31 August 2026.

Other items discussed included the identification of relatives of deceased scheme members, the calculation of deferred Matthews Second Option cases using the new calculator in July, and ongoing legal clarification regarding secondary contract holders. Annual benefit statements have been dispatched to all members not affected by the McCloud issue, while a subset of members awaiting remedial statements will receive explanatory letters. Finally, the Board resolved to incorporate ill‑health retirement reviews into future Business Updates.