Government Actuarys Department
The significance of actuarial valuations undertaken by the Government Actuarys Department (GAD) has been highlighted at a pensions conference.
GAD actuary Garth Foster was one of the presenters at the Pension and Lifetime Savings Associations (PLSA) Local Authority conference. He spoke about our support to government departments across a range of sectors including pensions, insurance, investments, data insights and actuarial valuations.
GAD actuary Garth Foster addresses the PLSA conference. Credit: GAD
Major event
This annual conference is a major event for people who manage the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and its individual funds. Its one of the largest defined benefit pension schemes globally.
The conference featured senior policymakers, industry figures, and insights from outside the pensions sector. Garth spoke about a range of topics including:
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the various cost cap checks, and cost management processes, that operate within the LGPS
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results of GADs recent published valuations of the LGPS, and the implications of these for the scheme
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how the LGPS valuations compare with the equivalent valuations of the other core public service pension schemes
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background on GADs upcoming Section 13 report which is set to review the actuarial valuations, carried out by other actuaries, for each of the individual LGPS local funds
Key challenges
Garth, and James Walsh, Head of Member Engagement at the PLSA, discussed key challenges faced when carrying out valuations of the public service pension schemes.
Delegates also heard about GADs current preparations to support its clients in an ever-changing environment.
Insights and knowledge
Garth said: The PLSA conference was a brilliant opportunity to share experiences with other experts involved in the successful delivery of the LGPS. The conference provided insights into a range of topics, both LGPS-specific, and more general cross-cutting pensions issues.
It was great to talk to a really knowledgeable audience, familiar with the work of actuaries, but possibly less familiar with the work of GAD and our whole-of-scheme le