Chair's Statement
On behalf of the Scheme Advisory Board I am delighted to be able to present the sixth Annual Report for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in England and Wales. The LGPS is one of the largest defined benefit (DB) schemes in the world and is the largest DB scheme in England and Wales, with 14,800 employers, 5.8m members and assets of £275bn.
The aim of this Annual Report is to provide a single source of information about the status of the LGPS for its members, employers, and other stakeholders. Continually improving key information about the Scheme as a whole is one of the top priorities of the Board. This report aggregates information supplied in the 89 fund annual reports, as at 31st March 2018.
To navigate the Annual Report, please use the menu to the right of this page, or the hyperlinks.
Here are some key LGPS highlights for 2018:
- The total membership of the LGPS grew by 197,000 (3.4%) to 5.8m members in 2018 from 5.6m in 2017.
- The total assets of the LGPS increased to £275bn (a change of 5%). These assets were invested in pooled investment vehicles (54%), public equities (29%), bonds (7%), direct property (3%), as well as other asset classes (7%).
- The Local Authority return on investment over 2017/2018 was 4.4%. This was reflective of the market conditions during the year and set against the UK Return of 0.2%.
- The scheme maintained a positive cash-flow position overall. Scheme income was higher than total scheme outgoings by £500m; this is including investment income.
- Over 1.7m pensioners were paid over the year.
As at the 31st March 2016, the LGPS liabilities were estimated at £254bn indicating an overall funding level of 85%. During the intervening years, the Board has been actively developing proposals to further tackle the estimated funding deficit of £37bn (£47bn in 2013) to improve the sustainability of the LGPS and its future funding levels. The next triennial valuation of the LGPS will be as at 31st March 2019.
As we move into the 2018/2019 reporting period, and the LGPS investment pools having been established for one year, CIPFA have updated guidance to ensure that the reporting of investments remains transparent at all levels within the Scheme.
I would be pleased to hear your views on this our sixth Annual Report (these should be sent to Liam Robson). The Board is keen to ensure we add to the Report and that the work underlying our compilation and analysis is ultimately recognised through UK, EU and global awards for excellence.
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Cllr Roger Phillips Chair of the LGPS Advisory Board |
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