The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026
Added the Local Audit Office to the Local Government Pension Scheme and designated Wolverhampton City Council as the administering authority for its employees.
These Regulations amend the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013 to include the Local Audit Office as a scheme employer.
The instrument grants Local Audit Office employees eligibility for the Local Government Pension Scheme and designates Wolverhampton City Council as the body responsible for administering their pension funds.
These changes apply to all employees of the Local Audit Office established under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026.
Arguments For
The instrument states that these amendments are necessary to implement the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 by ensuring staff at the newly established Local Audit Office have access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.
Proponents within the government frame this as a technical requirement to fulfill the legislative intent of the 2026 Act regarding the employment terms of Local Audit Office personnel.
The explanatory note asserts that the change has no significant impact on the private, voluntary, or public sectors beyond the specified administrative alignment.
Arguments Against
Legal commentators might note that the centralized administration of these pensions by Wolverhampton City Council, regardless of where employees are based, could create administrative complexities for the council.
Potential critics might question the decision to forgo a new Impact Assessment for these specific regulations, relying instead on the assessment produced for the parent 2026 Act.
Citation, commencement and extent
- 1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026.
- (2) These Regulations come into force on 23rd November 2026.
- (3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales.
This section establishes the official name of the regulations and sets the date they become law as 23 November 2026.
It specifies that the legal authority of these rules applies across England and Wales.
Amendment of the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013
- 2.—(1) The Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013(2) are amended as follows.
- (2) In Part 1 of Schedule 2 (scheme employers), after paragraph 30 insert—
- "31.. The Local Audit Office(3).”.
- (3) In Part 2 of Schedule 3 (pension funds), in the table after paragraph 4, at the end insert—
| Member | Appropriate administering authority | |------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| | An employee of the Local Audit Office(4) | Wolverhampton City Council |
This section updates the list of employers participating in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) to include the Local Audit Office. It also mandates that Wolverhampton City Council serves as the administering authority for the pension funds of Local Audit Office employees.
This means the council is responsible for managing the contributions and payouts for these specific scheme members.
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