Pensions Officer - Tower Hamlets

Pensions Officer – Tower Hamlets (Temp Vacancy)

Umbrella Pay Rate: £22.00ph

Full-Time (37 hours)

Job Purpose:

• To support the administration of the Local Government Pension Scheme that provides a range of benefits to the authority’s employees and their dependants, as well as employees of other organisations that participate on the LGPS.
• To act as advisor on pension related matters, ensuring that the authority fulfils its statutory requirements.

Accountabilities:

• Maintain records on the Altair Pensions Administration system, including staff that have opted out of the LGPS.
• Maintain Pensioner payroll records on the Resource Link HR system.
• Processing incoming post and emails, including scanning, indexing to Altair records and setting up Altair Workflow Tasks.
• Processing enquiries and instructions from members wishing to opt in and out of the LGPS.
• Process and pay refunds of contributions. Provide information to the scheme member on the alternatives to a refund.
• Processing the calculation and notification of deferred benefits for members that have left the LGPS. Provide information to the scheme member on the alternatives to deferred benefits
• Deal with enquiries from employees, pensioners and deferred pensioners regarding their entitlements.
• Maintain an in-depth knowledge of the LGPS and pensions related legislation.
• Process transfers to and from the LGPS and other pension schemes, AVC arrangements (including in-house and external AVCs) and any other approved pension arrangements. Ensure that payment is made or received promptly and within the statutory time limits. Provide an information service on all of the options available to scheme members as alternatives to a transfer.
• Process Pension Sharing on Divorce cases. Ensure that the member’s record is amended accordingly, and that a new pension record is created for the former spouse.
• Processing all types of retirement benefits including voluntary retirement, redundancy/efficiency retirement, medical retirement and flexible retirement.
• Process the payment of deferred benefits including payment from the due date, early payment on medical grounds, compassionate grounds and employer consent.
• Provide all appropriate options to scheme members paying additional contributions to allow them to make an informed choice. Liaise with the Council’s in-house Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) provider regarding AVC elections. Ensure that any elections do not exceed Inland Revenue limits
• Assist in the development and implementation of strategies that will enable the Pensions Team to be effective in its service provision, including the promotion and marketing of the LGPS.
• Assist in collecting data for investigation of complaints made to the Pensions Ombudsman and via the Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure.
• Peer checking of refund and deferred benefits calculations and general correspondence.

We offer:

• 24 hour one on one specialist consultant based within your geographical area
• 4Recruitment Services Employee Benefits Programme
• Our own dedicated payroll support ensuring you get the full benefits of your payment

Recruitment is done in line with safe recruitment practices. 4Recruitment Services is an equal opportunities employer.

To discuss this vacancy or other vacancies in your area please contact Parbej Miah 07435336299.