Two of Britain’s biggest local government pension funds are exploring mergers with other town hall retirement schemes in a race to meet a government deadline about their future.
In her Mansion House speech, Rachel Reeves unveiled plans to create pension ‘mega-funds’ to invest billions of pounds in UK firms and infrastructure to boost growth. They include moves to unite the sprawling local government pension scheme (LGPS), which has £355 billion spread across 86 councils.
These funds – which invest in shares, bonds, property and other assets – pay the pensions of six million workers. The LGPS has eight ‘pools’ but the Chancellor wants them to consolidate so they have the economies of scale to invest like public sector funds in Canada and Australia.
Crucially, she has insisted all pools be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The future: Rachel Reeves has unveiled plans to create pension ‘mega-funds’ to invest billions of pounds in UK firms and infrastructure to boost growth
Two of the biggest pools – Access, formed of 11 councils in south-east England, and Northern LGPS, which covers Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Merseyside – do not have FCA authorisation.
Both want to set up their own authorised structures but have also approached the other regulated pools about merging. The Government’s consultation closes next week.
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