We wish to advise you that the Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund has entered into an Information Sharing Agreement which enables 101 'administering authorities' in England, Wales and Scotland to share specific information held on the Local Government Pension Scheme National Insurance Database with one another.
Shared Data
For each member of the LGPS, the Database contains a short entry containing:
- The individual’s National Insurance Number
- A number to denote the individual’s membership status
- The last calendar year that the membership status changed
- A four-digit number confirming the LGPS pension fund where that member’s record is held
Hosting the Database
The Database is hosted at the South Yorkshire Pensions Authority, an LGPS pension fund.
Processing the data held on the Database
The data held on the Database is processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and other relevant legislation.
How the Database is used
An extract of the membership information contained in the Database will periodically be shared with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) so that the LGPS can join the Tell Us Once service.
Tell Us Once is a service offered in most parts of the country when an individual registers a death. When the LGPS joins Tell Us Once and the death of an LGPS member is registered, the DWP systems will ensure that the LGPS pension fund is informed of the death, meaning that the member’s records can be processed more quickly and simply than would otherwise be the case.
Who the data shared is shared with
The data is shared with other LGPS pension funds. These are all public bodies named in legislation as administering authorities of the LGPS.
For the Tell Us Once service, an extract of the Database containing individuals’ NI Numbers is securely shared with DWP every month so that they may maintain an up-to-date record of the LGPS’s membership.
Length of data sharing
The data sharing will be undertaken for as long as:
- the relevant regulatory requirements remain
- the LGPS participates in the Tell Us Once service
In the event that neither of the above applies, the data sharing will cease to be undertaken.
Opting out of data sharing
As this data sharing is partly being undertaken to comply with a legal requirement, scheme members will not be able to opt out of the data sharing.
Further information
To find out more about this data sharing or if you have any questions, please contact us:
Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund
Zone C
Town Hall
St Ives Road
Berkshire
SL6 1RF
Telephone: 01628 796 668