This page contains guides and sample documents issued by the LGA Bluelight team in collaboration with the Fire Communications Working Group on a variety of subjects. Other useful documents have been added. The topics are listed in alphabetical order with both tracked and clean versions available where there have been changes to the documents.
Items in Word format can be edited - please check any areas highlighted in yellow or as otherwise instructed.
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Abatement | Informal abatement guidance for FRAs - version 1.2 (PDF, 17 pages, 323kb) | FRAs | April 2023 |
| Abatement | Informal abatement guidance for FRAs - version 1.1 (PDF, 17 pages, 323kb) | FRAs | August 2022 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Aggregation | Guide to combining pension scheme service in the FPS - version 1.1 clean (PDF, 18 pages, 297kb) | Administrators | November 2021 |
| Guide to combining pension scheme service in the FPS - version 1.1 tracked (PDF, 18 pages, 302kb) | November 2021 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Annual Allowance | Annual Allowance factsheet for members (PDF, 17 pages, 363kb) | Scheme members | July 2024 |
| Annual Allowance factsheet for members (PDF, 13 pages, 317kb) | Scheme members | September 2023 | |
| Annual Allowance factsheet for members (Word, 12 pages, 103kb) | Scheme members | October 2020 | |
| Annual Allowance factsheet for members (Word, 10 pages, 82.6kb) | Scheme members | April 2019 |
29 July 2024
Published below are three sets of Annual Benefit Statement (ABS):
- ABS inclusive of remedy wording
- ABS CARE and Final Salary (not remedy)
- ABS CARE only
Within each section you will find the ABS and supporting annexes.
| Topic | Document and description | Intended Audience | Date published | |
| Annual Benefit Statements (2024) | ABS delay letter (word, 1 page, 26kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 5 July 2024 | |
| ABS inclusive of remedy wording | ||||
| 2024 ABS Template (word, 12 pages, 133kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 3 July 2024 | ||
| ABS Factsheet (PDF, 1 page, 111kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 3 July 2024 | ||
| Annex A - current value of benefits (PDF, 4 pages, 130kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 3 July 2024 | ||
| Annex B - CPD LSI APBs (PDF, 2 pages, 100kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 3 July 2024 | ||
| Annex C - retiring from the scheme (PDF, 2 pages, 122kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 3 July 2024 | ||
| Annex D - estimated value of CARE benefits (PDF, 3 pages, 118kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 3 July 2024 | ||
| Annex E - estimated value of Final Salary benefits (PDF, 1 page, 93kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 3 July 2024 | ||
| Annex F - survivors benefits (PDF, 3 pages, 102kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 3 July 2024 | ||
| Annex G - adjustments to pensions (PDF, 1 page, 89kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 3 July 2024 | ||
| Annex H - pension growth (PDF, 2 pages, 99kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 3 July 2024 | ||
| ABS CARE only | ||||
| ABS template (Word, 9 pages, 126kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 4 July 2024 | ||
| Annex A - current value of benefits (PDF, 1 page, 44kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 4 July 2024 | ||
| Annex B - retiring from the scheme (PDF, 1 page, 114kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 4 July 2024 | ||
| Annex C - estimated of benefits (PDF, 1 pages, 106kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 4 July 2024 | ||
| Annex D - survivor benefits (PDF, 2 pages, 92kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 4 July 2024 | ||
| Annex E - adjustments to pensions (PDF, 1 page, 88kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 4 July 2024 | ||
| Annex F - pension growth (PDF, 2 pages, 99kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 4 July 2024 | ||
| ABS CARE and Final Salary (Not remedy) | ||||
| ABS template (word, 12 pages, 130kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 12 July 2024 | ||
| Annex A - Current value of benefits (PDF, 3 pages, 126kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 16 July 2024 | ||
| Annex B - CPD APBs (PDF, 2 pages, 95kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 16 July 2024 | ||
| Annex C - retiring from the scheme (PDF, 1 page, 115kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 16 July 2024 | ||
| Annex D - estimated value of CARE benefits (PDF, 2 pages, 107kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 16 July 2024 | ||
| Annex E - estimated value of final salary (PDF, 1 page, 83kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 16 July 2024 | ||
| Annex F - survivors benefits (PDF, 2 pages, 91kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 16 July 2024 | ||
| Annex G - adjustments to pension (PDF, 1 page, 86kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 16 July 2024 | ||
| Annex H - pension growth (PDF, 2 pages, 99kb) | FRAs, LPBs | 16 July 2024 | ||
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
|
Annual Benefit Statements (Previous Years) |
ABS 2023 template and notes (Word, 12 pages, 136kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 2023 |
| Annex A - current value of benefits (PDF, 6 pages, 150kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 20232 | |
| Annex B - CPD, LSI and APBs (PDF, 2 pages, 100kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 2023 | |
| Annex C - retiring from the scheme (PDF, 2 pages, 122kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 2023 | |
| Annex D - estimated value of CARE pension (PDF, 3 pages, 117kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 2023 | |
| Annex E - estimated value of final salary pension (PDF, 1 page, 123kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 2023 | |
| Annex F - survivor benefits (PDF, 3 pages, 121kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 2023 | |
| Annex G - adjustments to pension (PDF, 1 pages, 83kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 2023 | |
| Annex H - pension growth (PDF, 2 pages, 98kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 2023 | |
| ABS 2023 Factsheet (PDF, 1 page, 113kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 2023 | |
| ABS 2021/22 Factsheet (PDF, 1 page, 119kb) | FRAs, LPBs | May 2022 | |
| Double accrual guarantee (HTML) | FRAs, LPBs | May 2021 | |
| Explanation of terms (PDF, 3 pages, 139kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 2020 | |
| ABS 2020 template and notes (Word, 12 pages, 134kb) | FRAs, LPBs | April 2020 | |
| ABS 2019 template and notes (Word, 29 pages, 157kb) | FRAs, LPBs | June 2019 | |
| ABS 2018 template and notes (Word, 29 pages, 158kb) | FRAs, LPBs | June 2018 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Data scoring | Advice on TPR data scoring 2023 - clean (PDF, 20 pages, 378kb) | FRAs, LPBs, Administrators | May 2023 |
| Advice on TPR data scoring 2023 - tracked (PDF, 20 pages, 399kb) | FRAs, LPBs, Administrators | May 2023 | |
| Advice on TPR data scoring 2019 - clean (PDF, 15 pages, 382kb) | FRAs, LPBs, Administrators | October 2019 | |
| Advice on TPR data scoring 2019 - tracked (PDF, 19 pages, 396kb) | FRAs, LPBs, Administrators | October 2019 | |
| Data score weighting template 2019 (xlsx, 13kb) | FRAs, LPBs, Administrators | October 2019 | |
| Illustrative data requirements for TPR data scoring (PDF, 12 pages, 356kb) | FRAs, LPBs, Administrators | August 2018 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Disclosure | Guide to Disclosure of Information requirements (PDF, 13 pages, 376kb) | FRAs, LPBs | July 2018 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
|
Discretions |
Full list of discretions available to scheme managers in the FPS (PDF, 82 pages, 990kb) | FRAs, LPBs | July 2018 |
|
|
FPS 1992 discretions and table of delegations (Word, 19 pages, 290kb) |
FRAs, LPBs | July 2018 |
|
|
FPS 2006 discretions and table of delegations (Word, 19 pages, 292kb) |
FRAs, LPBs |
July 2018 |
|
|
FPS 2015 discretions and table of delegations (Word, 18 pages, 245kb) | FRAs, LPBs | July 2018 |
|
|
FCS discretions and table of delegations (Word, 15 pages, 203kb) | FRAs, LPBs | July 2018 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Finance and funding | FPS forecasting guidance (PDF, 22 pages, 620kb) | FRAs, Finance | July 2019 |
| Guidance for FRAs on new financial arrangements for firefighter pensions with effect from April 2006 (PDF, 40 pages, 423kb) | FRAs, Finance | August 2006 | |
| Annex D: Actuarial data required for setting contribution rates (PDF, 5 pages, 151kb) |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
|
Forms |
Election to join (Word, 1 page, 19.2kb) | FRAs | December 2019 |
|
|
FPS 1992 notes on opting out (Word, 2 pages, 23.3kb) | FRAs | December 2018 |
| FPS 2006 (standard member) notes on opting out (Word, 2 pages, 22.7kb) | FRAs | December 2018 | |
| FPS 2006 (special member) notes on opting out (Word, 2 pages, 23kb) | FRAs | December 2018 | |
| FPS 2015 notes on opting out (Word, 3 pages, 23.5kb) | FRAs | December 2018 | |
| Election to opt out (Word, 2 pages, 17.6kb) | FRAs | December 2018 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
|
FPS administration strategy |
Template FPS administration strategy (Word, 23 pages, 217kb) | FRAs, Administrators | July 2021 |
| FPS administration strategy consultation response (PDF, 8 pages, 208kb) | FRAs, Administrators | July 2021 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
|
GDPR |
Template privacy notice for FRAs as Data Controllers (Word, 8 pages, 57kb) | FRAs | May 2018 |
| Notes on use/ adaptation of the template privacy notice (PDF, 7 pages, 331kb) | FRAs | May 2018 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| IDRP | IDRP factsheet (PDF, 6 pages, 247kb) | FRAs | June 2020 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Industrial Action | Industrial Action letter template (PDF, 3 pages, 129kb) | FRAs | April 2023 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Lifetime Allowance | Lifetime Allowance factsheet for members (PDF, 1 page, 194kb) | Scheme members | April 2023 |
| Lifetime Allowance factsheet for members (Word, 8 pages, 79.1kb) | Scheme members | February 2021 | |
| Lifetime Allowance factsheet for members (Word, 8 pages, 71kb) | Scheme members | May 2019 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Member guides | FPS 2015 Added Pension - factsheet and election form (Word, 3 pages, 130kb) | Scheme members | April 2020 |
| Member guide to pensions tax by Mark Belchamber, Income for the Third Age | Scheme members | July 2019 | |
| SI 2019/378 - Leaflet for communicating scheme changes to members (Word, 3 pages, 93kb) | Scheme members | May 2019 | |
| Retirement from FPS 2015 - member factsheet (PDF, 3 pages, 330kb) | Scheme members | December 2018 | |
| SI 2018/997 - Leaflet for communicating scheme changes to members (Word, 3 pages, 92kb) | Scheme members | November 2018 | |
|
|
Short guide to FPS 2015 (Word, 11 pages, 66kb) | Scheme members | 29 November 2023 |
The Pension Scheme Tax Reference (PSTR) is the unique reference allocated by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) when the scheme has been successfully registered for tax relief and exemptions.
The documents in this section are scanned copies of letters from HMRC confirming registration and giving the PSTR numbers.
Each FRA as sub-scheme administrator also has a unique PSTR.
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Pension Scheme Tax Reference | Pension Scheme Tax Reference - FPS 1992 (PDF, 1 page, 31.6kb) |
FRAs Administrators |
|
| Pension Scheme Tax Reference - FPS 2006 (PDF, 1 page, 177kb) | FRAs Administrators | ||
| Pension Scheme Tax Reference - FPS 2015 (PDF, 2 pages, 478kb) | FRAs Administrators |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
|
Retirement decision trees |
Benefit flowchart for an FPS 2015 member with 1992 transitional benefits (PDF, 1 page, 273kb) |
FRAs Scheme members |
September 2018 |
| Benefit flowchart for an FPS 2015 member with standard 2006 transitional benefits (PDF, 1 page, 244kb) |
FRAs Scheme members |
September 2018 |
|
| Benefit flowchart for an FPS 2015 member with special 2006 transitional benefits (PDF, 1 page, 250kb) |
FRAs Scheme members |
September 2018 |
|
| Benefit flowchart for a member with FPS 2015 benefits only (PDF, 1 page, 309kb) |
FRAs Scheme members |
September 2018 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Scheme pays | Voluntary Scheme Pays (VSP) guidance (PDF, 12 pages, 479kb) | FRAs Administrators | January 2018 |
| VSP election form - member (PDF, 2 pages, 71kb) | Scheme members | January 2018 | |
| VSP election form - scheme manager (PDF, 1 page, 10kb) | FRAs | January 2018 | |
| Guidance on proportioning the scheme pays debit (PDF, 3 pages, 292kb) | FRAs Administrators | January 2018 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Technical notes | Restricting exit payments in the public sector (PDF, 7 pages, 264kb) | FRAs | May 2019 |
| 2019 amendment orders (PDF, 4 pages, 362kb) | FRAs | March 2019 | |
| 2018 amendment orders (PDF, 6 pages, 272kb) | FRAs | September 2018 | |
| Taxable treatment of Ill-Health pension paid from the compensation scheme (PDF, 5 pages, 299kb) | FRAs | September 2017 | |
| 2017 amendment orders (PDF, 20 pages, 553kb) | FRAs | September 2017 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Transfers | QROPS Spring Budget 2017 information (PDF, 4 pages, 99.4kb) |
Administrators Scheme members |
March 2017 |
| Topic | Document and description | Intended audience | Publication date |
| Two pensions | Two pension award case study |
FRAs Administrators |
September 2021 |
| Entitlement to two pensions factsheet | FRAs Administrators | April 2019 |