Information for current and former employees on pensions and relevant persons to contact regarding them.
Different members of staff are covered by different pension schemes, dependant on their contracts and conditions.
If you are, or previously were, a firefighter (or other applicable Grey Book role) for West Midlands Fire Service, please see the information for the 'Firefighter Pension Scheme'. Either click the button below or scroll down to see information about your scheme.
If you are, or were, a member of staff on Green Book conditions, it's likely you're covered by the Local Government Pension Scheme. Although we do not administer this scheme, further details and contact information are below. Click the relevant button or scroll down for more information.
Below you can find information and contact details for the West Midlands Firefighter Pension Scheme, including Pension Administration, the Local Pension Board and the Scheme Manager.
Fire service pensions are payable monthly in advance on the first working day of each month.
For information on the Local Government Pension Scheme, please scroll down to that section.
Please note that while we will aim to acknowledge your enquiry within three working days, a full response will be provided within statutory deadlines (where they apply) which will differ depending upon the nature of your enquiry.
Payroll Section
West Midlands Fire Service Headquarters
99 Vauxhall Road
Birmingham
B7 4HW
Email: payrolls@wmfs.net
Telephone No. 0121 380 6310
Pension Section
West Midlands Fire Service Headquarters
99 Vauxhall Road
Birmingham
B7 4HW
Email: pensions@wmfs.net
Telephone No. 0121 380 6320
HM Revenue and Customs
City Centre House
30 Union Street, Fire Pensions
Tax Ref. No. 068/W103
Birmingham B2 4AD
Tel. 0300 200 3300
Birmingham Solihull Area Service, and ask for Birmingham Solihull Area
https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/pensions-tax-manual/ptm062230
As of June 26, 2023, our Chief Fire Officer is the delegated Scheme Manager on behalf of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority (WMFRA). This role was previously undertaken by the Audit and Risk Committee of WMFRA.
You can contact the scheme manager if you wish to raise a complaint, provide feedback or if you need to make an application under the Internal Dispute Resolution Process (IDRP).
Chief Fire Officer
Pension Scheme Manager
West Midlands Fire Service Headquarters
99 Vauxhall Road,
Birmingham
B7 4HW
Email: Schememanager@wmfs.net
If you wish to make an application under IDRP please download a copy of the IDRP Stage One Application form found below and return by email or post to the addresses above. You will receive a response from the CFO or their delegated representative setting out the timescales for response.
The Local Pension Board exists to assist the Scheme Manager in securing compliance with the Local Government Pension Scheme regulations, other legislation and the requirements of the Pensions Regulator. Scheme members are represented by three representatives, with three further employer representatives.
You can contact the Pension Board for advice or to provide feedback on scheme governance and administration.
You can find out more information about the Pension Board on the WMFRA CMIS pages linked below.
Scheme Member Representatives
Email address (for all three Scheme Member representatives): employee.pension.rep@gmail.com
Employer Representatives
The Local Government Association (LGA) Bluelight Pensions team produce a monthly bulletin giving updates on key developments within firefighter pensions, including updates on remedy, legislative changes and pension administration.
It may be of interest to pension scheme members, and can be accessed via the link below. Please note the bulletin represents the views of the LGA team and should not be treated as a complete and authoritative legal opinion
Pension Section
West Midlands Fire Service Headquarters
99 Vauxhall Road
Birmingham
B7 4HW
Email: pensions@wmfs.net
Telephone No. 0121 380 6310
The West Midlands Pension Fund (WMPF) has a Local Pension Board formed of 12 members, with six employer and six member representatives. The role the Local Pensions Board is to assist in the good governance of the Local Government Pension Scheme through the monitoring of compliance with statutory regulation and guidance and to act as a representative both for and on behalf of the employer and member base ensuring effective governance and administration in the management and payment of pension benefits.
You can find out more about the WMPF Pension Board and its members on the WMPF website, via the button below.
The City of Wolverhampton Council (CWC) is the Administering Authority for the West Midlands Pension Fund under the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013 and is the Scheme Manager as defined by Section 4 of the Public Service Pension Act 2013.
Under its constitution and in accordance with Section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972 CWC have delegated responsibility for the management of the Fund to the Pensions Committee and the Director of Pensions.
Find our more information about the Scheme Manager here: https://www.wmpfonline.com/about-us/governance
We've put together a number of the frequently asked questions pension scheme members ask us.
You can search or browse through them here or visit our full frequently asked questions page to see more.
In relation to additional years specifically, you are only eligible for a contingent decision if you would have been eligible for additional years in your original scheme at the time. For example, in the 1992 scheme regulations, you could only purchase additional years if you would not otherwise have reached 30 years’ (40/60ths) service before you reached the retirement age of 55. That restriction still applies, as you could not have made the decision to buy additional years between 2015-2022 even if the changes had not been made.
If you are eligible for remedy, you do not currently need to do anything. You will be contacted by March 2025 and provided with a Remedial Service Statement (RSS) which will provide you with your options regarding remedy. If you retire before that date, you will be provided with your remedy options for retirement.
The sooner you can let the team know, the better, as this gives us more time to undertake the necessary calculations.
Members will be issued a P60 every year by the end of May, as well as a pay slip whenever your pension varies by more than £10. This is most likely to happen in April and May of each year following the pay uplift.
Our intention is to get calculations to those leaving service as soon as possible, but due to high workloads and the complexity of calculations as a result of Remedy, we are sometimes not able to do so. We are statutorily required to provide pension calculations within one month of retirement for those retiring at pension age, or two months if you choose to retire early, although we will always seek to do so sooner. If a delay in payment is likely to cause you hardship, please contact the pensions team, as we can arrange an advance payment be made from your pension lump sum.
