Kent Pension Fund's Funding Strategy Statement

Welcome to the consultation on the draft Funding Strategy Statement.

Every three years, as part of the 31 March 2025 triennial valuation, the Kent Pension Fund (Kent County Council KCC as the Administering Authority) prepares a revised draft Funding Strategy Statement (FSS).

About the FSS

The FSS is one of the Kent Pension Fund’s (the Fund) key policies, establishing how employers’ pension liabilities are best met going forward.

The FSS has been revised to take into account the national 'Guidance for preparing and maintaining a FSS' issued in January 2025.

In accordance with Regulation 58 of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Regulations 2013 as an Administering Authority, we must keep the FSS under review and consult with such persons considered appropriate following a material change to the FSS. We must also publish a written statement setting out our funding strategy.

For information, the current Funding Strategy Statement is on the Kent Pension Fund website.

An Administering Authority (Kent County Council in this instance) and its scheme employers must have regard to the FSS when carrying out their functions under the LGPS Regulations.

Proposed changes and updates to the Funding Strategy Statement

The draft FSS for the Kent Pension Fund includes the following proposed material changes:

  • The pooling together of town and parish councils for the LGPS from the 1 April 2026.
  • Academies and further education (FE) employers would be treated as having an equal level of risk to the Fund as local authorities (LA) and therefore we would align the recovery period for all these employers to 8 years.
  • Provision of an updated prudence adjustment for employers terminating under a full cessation scenario.
  • An updated structure with subheadings, more focus on employer understanding and a broader focus incorporating other funding-related policies.
  • The inclusion of an Engagement Plan and other considerations from the Guidance for Preparing and maintaining a Funding Strategy Statement (2025).

Have your say!

We welcome your feedback on the draft FSS. We would also like to understand if and how it may impact you, your organisation or your LGPS members. Finally, there is also a space for you to tell us if you have any other comments.

You can tell us your views by completing the online questionnaire, which is available from this webpage.

If you cannot complete the online questionnaire a Word version is available to download from this webpage. You can complete and return either by email or post this back to: Kent County Council Treasury and Investments, Kent County Council, Sessions House, County Road, Maidstone Kent ME14 1XQ.

Please ensure your response reaches us by midnight on 31 December 2025.

You can also contact Kent Pension Fund using the details provided in the 'Who's Listening' section of the website if you:

  • Need any support to take part in the consultation, or
  • Are an employer or represent one and you need to ask a question about the FSS.

Consultation responses will be used to help finalise the FSS between January and March 2026. The final FSS will be ratified, if agreed, by KCC’s Pension Fund Committee on 24 March 2026 and implemented on and from 1 April 2026.

Welcome to the consultation on the draft Funding Strategy Statement.

Every three years, as part of the 31 March 2025 triennial valuation, the Kent Pension Fund (Kent County Council KCC as the Administering Authority) prepares a revised draft Funding Strategy Statement (FSS).

About the FSS

The FSS is one of the Kent Pension Fund’s (the Fund) key policies, establishing how employers’ pension liabilities are best met going forward.

The FSS has been revised to take into account the national 'Guidance for preparing and maintaining a FSS' issued in January 2025.

In accordance with Regulation 58 of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Regulations 2013 as an Administering Authority, we must keep the FSS under review and consult with such persons considered appropriate following a material change to the FSS. We must also publish a written statement setting out our funding strategy.

For information, the current Funding Strategy Statement is on the Kent Pension Fund website.

An Administering Authority (Kent County Council in this instance) and its scheme employers must have regard to the FSS when carrying out their functions under the LGPS Regulations.

Proposed changes and updates to the Funding Strategy Statement

The draft FSS for the Kent Pension Fund includes the following proposed material changes:

  • The pooling together of town and parish councils for the LGPS from the 1 April 2026.
  • Academies and further education (FE) employers would be treated as having an equal level of risk to the Fund as local authorities (LA) and therefore we would align the recovery period for all these employers to 8 years.
  • Provision of an updated prudence adjustment for employers terminating under a full cessation scenario.
  • An updated structure with subheadings, more focus on employer understanding and a broader focus incorporating other funding-related policies.
  • The inclusion of an Engagement Plan and other considerations from the Guidance for Preparing and maintaining a Funding Strategy Statement (2025).

Have your say!

We welcome your feedback on the draft FSS. We would also like to understand if and how it may impact you, your organisation or your LGPS members. Finally, there is also a space for you to tell us if you have any other comments.

You can tell us your views by completing the online questionnaire, which is available from this webpage.

If you cannot complete the online questionnaire a Word version is available to download from this webpage. You can complete and return either by email or post this back to: Kent County Council Treasury and Investments, Kent County Council, Sessions House, County Road, Maidstone Kent ME14 1XQ.

Please ensure your response reaches us by midnight on 31 December 2025.

You can also contact Kent Pension Fund using the details provided in the 'Who's Listening' section of the website if you:

  • Need any support to take part in the consultation, or
  • Are an employer or represent one and you need to ask a question about the FSS.

Consultation responses will be used to help finalise the FSS between January and March 2026. The final FSS will be ratified, if agreed, by KCC’s Pension Fund Committee on 24 March 2026 and implemented on and from 1 April 2026.

  • Have your say!

    The Kent Pension Fund would like to hear your views on the draft Funding Strategy Statement (FSS) and have provided this questionnaire for you to give us your feedback. 

    We recommend you read the draft FSS before responding to this questionnaire.

    In line with other local authorities and government departments, we ask people to register to take part in some activities. We do this to protect the integrity of our consultations from individuals and groups who may attempt to unduly influence the outcomes of the consultation process and to give people the opportunity to choose to be kept informed. It also means that you will receive an email with your answers to the questionnaire once you have submitted it.

    If you have a specific question as an actuary or employer about the organisation you represent, please email/phone the Kent Pension Fund Team before completing this questionnaire (details are provided under 'Who's Listening' on the consultation webpage).

    As with all our consultations a Word version of the questionnaire is available from the consultation webpage for people who would prefer not to complete the online version.

    Complete questionnaire