About the Falkirk Pension Fund

The Falkirk Pension Fund is part of the national Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

If you join the scheme and stay in it for at least 2 years, you will get a pension paid to you when you retire.

Scheme Members include people who work for:

• Clackmannanshire Council
• Falkirk Council
• Stirling Council
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Scottish Children's Reporter Administration
• and around 30 other public or charitable bodies in the central Scotland area,
• and Councillors of the three Councils above, who elect to become scheme members.

Teachers are not able to join the LGPS as they have their own pension arrangements. Likewise, uniformed personnel with Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have their own pension schemes.

The LGPS is a Public Sector Scheme and is governed by rules made under the Public Service Pensions Act 2013. This means that it is very secure because the amount members are paid in retirement is defined and set out in law.

Responsibility for overarching UK pensions policy rests with the UK Government. However, subject to meeting the requirements of the UK public sector pensions framework, responsibility for the Scheme as it applies to Scottish local authorities lies with the Scottish Ministers. Changes to the Scheme are made by the Ministers after consultation with national Scheme Advisory Board which includes Trade Union and Employer representation.

The Scheme provides a range of good quality benefits and index linked pensions for its members.

Until 2016 when contracting out ended, the Scheme was contracted out of the Second State Pension (previously the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme - SERPS).

The Scheme is certified by HM Revenue and Customs as a UK Registered Pension Scheme, which means that members currently get tax relief on their contributions to the Scheme.

For more information, please visit LGPS.

Who runs the pension fund?

The Falkirk Pension Fund is run by the Falkirk Council.

This means that Falkirk Council is the "administering authority" in terms of the LGPS Regulations.

Administering authorities have to act in the interests of all employers, members and their dependants within the fund. The role of the administering authority is very similar to that of a trustee.

The pensions team at Falkirk Council look after the day-to-day running of the fund.

The pensions team is not registered with the appropriate regulatory body and therefore cannot provide financial advice to members.

Responsible Officer of the Falkirk Council Pension Fund

Amanda Templeman, the Council's Chief Finance Officer.

Pension and Investment Administration

The Pensions Manager is Catherine Carruthers. 

The Pensions Manager and the team provide benefit administration services to members and participating employers and manage the pension fund investments and accounts, as well as providing support to the Pensions Committee & Board in their stewardship of the Fund.

The Fund publicly discloses its voting records in respect of all company meetings where it has exercised its voting entitlement. The Fund has appointed Hermes Eos as its voting and engagement provider to try to ensure that the behaviour of investee companies is aligned with the Fund's investment beliefs and consistent with long-term responsible ownership. You can review the Fund's voting records by clicking this link.