Job overview
Would you like the opportunity to join a progressive and forward thinking Pensions service?
Our friendly and thriving Employee Business Services currently has 6 clients. Providing a high quality payroll and pension service to approx. 20,000 employees which equates to producing in excess of 300,000 payslips annually whilst consistently delivering accuracy rates of 99%.
We are looking to recruit a Pension Support Officer, who has a passion for helping us provide an excellent customer experience to our clients, has an excellent telephone manner and excellent administrative and IT skills. The candidate must demonstrate attention to detail and a commitment and enthusiasm to contributing to service improvement and development.
Main duties of the job
You will be responsible for providing, support to the Pension Manager/Officers in the administration of all aspects of work related to all Pension Schemes provided in a comprehensive pension service to the Trust and Client Organisations. This must be done in accordance with Standing Financial Instructions, NHS Terms and Conditions of Service, Statutory legislation, Pension legislation, Contract and Service level agreements and internal office procedures.
With training provided, you will be able to provide a point of contact for colleagues on pension queries, providing information on schemes and Total Reward Statements.
You will respond to daily emails in a timely and effective manner, providing information, clarity and support and direct colleagues to further information as necessary.
You will be expected to manage, plan and organise their own workload as required, be expected to work independently and to use their initiative to resolve any problems arising and communicate solutions effectively, escalating issues to their Pension Manager where deemed necessary.
Working for our organisation
Our Partnership brings together the five NHS provider Trusts with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in Lancashire and South Cumbria to improve health and healthcare. The organisations across Lancashire and South Cumbria involved in the collaboration are Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. This is about working together as equal partners to make sure patients, their families and communities benefit across the whole of the area.
The aim is to reduce health inequalities and improve services, outcomes and people’s experiences of accessing healthcare. Our partnership also aims to ensure that Lancashire and South Cumbria is a great place to work.
We want to further improve quality by sharing skills and best practice, pooling our resources and standardising the way we work where possible to reduce unnecessary duplication. To achieve this we have created One LSC, which will oversee all corporate services for Lancashire and South Cumbria.
This is an exciting time to join a new collaboration, which is focused on a system-wide approach to better outcomes for patients and opportunities for staff.
Please note that One LSC is hosted by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, who would be the employer.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
• Ensure that the administration of pension data is correctly and accurately recorded for each employee achieving the required deadline dates. Deal with all aspects of the NHS Pension Scheme e.g. joiners, leavers, refunds, transfers and pension related queries.
• Provide manually calculated, accurate pensions information in conjunction with the information systems available (i.e. Pensions On line and ESR.), including calculations of a complex or sensitive nature ensuring information remains confidential for both employees and managers. Utilise these calculations to provide estimates of benefits, information for transfers, legal proceedings, age retirements, and the preservation of benefits.
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• Assist with the administration to purchase any additional pension, ensuring all relevant application forms are completed and upon receipt deductions are entered correctly in ESR payroll system. Calculate arrears manually where necessary. Accurately maintain associated manual records
• Ensure the correct and timely input of data in ESR of new members pension scheme deductions from salary
• Assist the Pensions Team Manager in liaising with bereaved family members in regards to eligibility of pension benefits
• Ensure that Pensions Online (POL) is updated with accurate information for all types of pension awards
• Have a good knowledge of the NHS Pension Scheme rules and regulations, understand how these may affect employees and ensure the correct application of these regulations
• Adhere to Auto-Enrolment (AE) regulations and keep up to date with new legislation and that the Trust remain compliant with the Pensions Regulator Act
• Assist the Pensions Manager with the daily provision of concise and accurate information and /or clarification of Pension Regulations and procedures on enquiry. Additionally, providing details of the effects of any changes to Agenda for Change and M&D Terms and Conditions on pension membership (Maternity leave, flexible working, sickness, career breaks, salary sacrifice schemes)on request. Where personal or more specific pension details are required, following up such enquires promptly and effectively.
• Assists with the correction and updating of pension records which are in error
• Furnishing scheme members with benefit claim forms and ill-health retirement application forms on request
• Ensure all awards which are processed are checked and any amendments notified to NHS Pensions in a timely manner.
• Estimating the Abatement rule when required
• Estimating manual redundancy calculations
• Prepare, process and update NHS pension scheme records via the internet using the NHS Pensions online facility
• Ensure the correct set up and deduction for any local schemes including NEST and local Government Pension
Person specification
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
* Working in a busy administrative office dealing with confidential information
* Comprehensive knowledge of NHS conditions and pay procedures including the appropriate application of relevant statutory legislation.
Desirable criteria
* Previous experience and ability to use ESR payroll system.
* Experience and knowledge of NHS Pension rules and regulations.
* Extensive knowledge of pay procedures and statutory legislation and experience of working in a payroll department
Qualifications and Education
Essential criteria
* Minimum of 2 GSCE passes at grade C including Maths and English Language or Level 2 Functional Skills in English and Mathematics or equivalent experience