Board statement on Government’s response to Access and Fairness

The Scheme Advisory Board welcomes the Government response to the Access and Fairness consultation and specifically the announcement on reforms to tackle the gender pension gap (GPG) in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).

The Board is proud to have been the first public sector pension scheme to commission a scheme-level GPG report and to propose scheme‑level changes aimed at improving outcomes for women in the LGPS. This early work has helped shape understanding of the GPG in the LGPS and has informed policy discussions leading to the reforms.

While these announcements mark meaningful progress, the Board recognises that further work is still needed to close the gender pensions gap fully and therefore will continue its programme of analytical work and engagement with stakeholders to support fair and sustainable pension outcomes for all LGPS members. We look forward to working closely with the Government, administering authorities (AA) and other stakeholders to ensure these reforms are implemented, with necessary guidance in place to support AAs and continue to build on the Board’s already established work.