Overview of our client and customer services · Overview of our client and customer services March 2020 5 Launch of our new online customer lounge We are proud to announce the launch

Overview of our client and customer services

March 2020 Overview of our client and customer services


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Customer eventsAt Legal & General we pride ourselves on the outstanding in-house customer service that we offer to our customers. We continually look for opportunities to offer additional benefits to our Pension Risk Transfer (PRT) members and other retirement customers throughout the year. We organised two successful member events in 2019 and received some great feedback from customers.

BBC Gardeners’ World LiveWe exhibited at BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC in Birmingham in June. The show, now in its 27th year, is one of the UK’s largest gardening shows and attracted more than 100,000 visitors over the course of the week.

We were pleased to be able to offer our customers a discount on tickets to BBC Gardeners’ World Live and access to an exclusive Legal & General Retirement lounge.

Our lounge, decorated with our iconic umbrellas, provided free tea and coffee for our customers and their families, together with an opportunity for a well-earned rest during the show.

Over 700 customers visited and many took the opportunity to meet our experienced client service team, and ask specific questions about their pensions in person. They also had the chance to meet Gloria Hunniford OBE, Dr Dawn Harper and Julia Bradbury who visited as part of our partnership with the Inspired Villages Group.

In addition, visitors could learn about the ‘Step Forward’ volunteer recruitment campaign being run by the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS). Legal & General has been supporting RVS since 2014.

Overview of our client and customer services March 2020

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“ These events are both useful and enjoyable, and they allow us to meet our customers in person in a relaxed setting”

David Poulton, Chief Customer Officer, LGRI

Inspired Villages MillbrookIn September, we hosted a special event called ‘101 Ways to Enjoy Getting Older’ at Millbrook Village in Exeter. We were delighted to be joined by veteran broadcaster Gloria Hunniford OBE, who shared her experiences in an inspiring and lively panel discussion.

The talks from Legal & General’s retirement experts covered how to see your saving aspirations come to life, as well as thoughts on the exciting challenges of a 100 year life and key areas to consider as part of later life planning.

David Poulton, Chief Customer Officer, Legal & General Retirement Institutional (LGRI), commented:

“These events are both useful and enjoyable, and they allow us to meet our customers in person in a relaxed setting. We are able to answer any questions they have and connect them with experts in the sector who can share the latest insights and trends when it comes to later life, volunteering, financial planning and planning for care.”


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Gaining the Crystal MarkWe believe it is vital for customers to understand their pension benefits in order to make the most informed decisions possible about their retirement. And yet the world of pensions can unfortunately be full of technical jargon, legislative text and approved disclaimers. Getting it right can be a minefield.

At Legal & General we work in partnership with the Plain English Campaign (PEC) to ensure that our customer letters are of the highest quality. All of our customer letters are reviewed by PEC on a rolling basis. We use their expert proofreading and editing services to ensure that our written text is of a very high standard.

As part of a robust review process, our letters are checked for:• consistent and correct punctuation and grammar; • an average sentence length of just 15 to 20 words; • use of ‘active’ verbs, lists, and headings, which stand

out from the text; • and a clear font size and typeface.

As a result, each and every letter we send to our customers receives their accredited Crystal Mark for high quality.

For our customers this means that our letters use ‘everyday’ English and are easy to understand.

New policyholder packs

The way we communicate with our customers is important. We send all new policyholders a welcome letter and brochure which reassures them that their pension benefits are in safe hands, and clearly explains what happens next. We provide signposting to our online customer lounge (see opposite page) and other resources that may be of use to support their retirement.

In addition we have also rolled out a policyholder pack which explains their policy document and their benefits in clear and straightforward terms.

Customer communication

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Your Legal & General

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Investments

Looking after you following your pension scheme transfer

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24/04/2019 15:32:50


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Launch of our new online customer loungeWe are proud to announce the launch of our new online customer lounge for our Defined Benefit (DB) pension customers.

When a pension scheme transfers to us it can sometimes be a confusing and uncertain time for the scheme members. Whilst a buyout is usually great news for members because the security of their pension is increased, there is sometimes a degree of misunderstanding about pension buyouts.

Our online customer lounge is part of a series of initiatives we’ve introduced to further improve how we engage with customers. The aim is to welcome our DB customers and reassure them that they are in safe hands, whilst addressing common queries up front, We also provide clear and straightforward signposting to our customer contact teams to help customers to quickly get through to the correct team if they have any additional questions or would like to discuss their pension benefits.

Our online lounge features information about:

• Legal & General and our customer service,

• a welcome video,

• information about tax and retirement,

• frequently asked questions,

• resources to help customers make the most of their pension and,

• a getting in touch page.

Throughout 2020 we will develop the site further and introducing new features such as smart search and call back functionality.


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Preparing for buyoutData quality has been a hot topic in the pensions industry in recent times, and getting it right has never been more important than when looking to move your scheme to buyout. Add to this the complexities that some scheme benefit structures can carry, there seems to be a never-ending task ahead in getting your scheme buyout-ready.

The scheme administrators are one of the most important teams when thinking about preparing the scheme for buyout and enabling a smooth transition. We always encourage pension schemes to engage with their administrators early in the process to ascertain timescales and any costs involved. This allows them to build in enough time to cleanse the data and set up the administrative processes for buyout.

We have provided some guidelines below to assist you and your administrators in scheme preparation.

Benefit structureThe scheme benefit structure should be carefully reviewed and consideration given to any complexities. If the scheme has any particular complexities in the benefit structure, then it may be worth assessing the potential to simplify these before moving to buyout.

Equally, if any benefits are insured elsewhere, check the existing insurance contracts and how they compare with the benefits to be insured.

L&G’s view

“ The scheme administrators are one of the most important teams when thinking about preparing the scheme for buyout and enabling a smooth transition.”


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Data cleanseCompletion of Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) reconciliation and rectification is a common cause of delay in winding up a scheme and therefore should be undertaken as early as possible. Ensuring that your scheme records agree with those of the National Insurance Contribution Office (NICO) enables you to confirm that you hold liabilities for the correct membership as well as confirm the GMP amounts themselves.

Where applicable, check the Barber window for the scheme and ensure that all benefits have been correctly adjusted to reflect Barber Equalisation.

Data should be validated to ensure that the correct benefit tranches are applied for each member according to their contributing service dates. In addition transferred-in benefits should be correctly recorded.

The contingent spouse pension will also be required at the on-risk date for all pensioners in payment and this will therefore need to be reviewed as part of the data cleanse. It is important to check that the spouse elements correctly reflect those of the pensioner, and where they don’t, that there is a valid reason, e.g. commutation of current pensioner elements at retirement. It is important that the marital status and spouse date of birth are updated wherever possible.

The trustees should also consider if any historic data sits outside of the administration platform. For example, does the scheme hold historic files in paper or microfiche form? It is important to review these, and timing and costs will need to be considered for this exercise. Look out for any special benefits or conditions for members that can be found on member files, but that are not correctly reflected in the data, as well as details of any pre and post-commutation pension amounts. The aim is to ensure that all member records are up to date and any historic changes have been correctly documented. If you can digitalise your data, it will be easier to monitor and control ahead of buyout.

Administration and processes Review the current and historic administration and processes. Is the scheme currently administered consistently? How about your processes, are they clearly documented and are they being followed?

Carry out regular existence checking to ensure that your member population is up to date. Not only will this ensure that you receive the most accurate price for the buyout, it will reduce the risk of you insuring members that are later proven to be deceased.

Ensure you hold up to date address data for your members prior to buyout by carrying out member tracing exercises.

Trustees should consider carrying out a member verification exercise. This will involve writing to members to confirm that the details held for them are correct. The benefit of this is that gaps can be filled where data is missing. Examples of data to be verified include, but are not limited to, personal details, marital status, addresses and details of benefits held.


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Legal & General, like most companies, support a number of charities. We’d like to share some of the activities with regard to three of the key charities that we support.

Children In NeedEach year we open up our call centres based in Hove and Cardiff to the organisers of Children in Need. Around 250 staff members over the two sites volunteer for the evening to take calls. The evening generally consists of a number of fun activities, In our Hove office, a group of 15-16 year olds from a local senior school also take part and shadow some of the volunteers taking calls, helping the floor runners and monitoring donations whilst obtaining experience within a workplace environment. In 2019 the Hove office alone took over 1,100 donations raising £23,679.

Inside L&G


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Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) Legal & General Retail Retirement has worked closely with Royal Voluntary Service for five years, developing a multi-strand partnership.

In April 2019, we announced our support for RVS’s ‘Step Forward’ campaign, aimed at inspiring Britain’s retiring generation to volunteer their time and talents. The campaign seeks to galvanise people approaching retirement, and recent retirees, to help within their local community. The partnership reflects Legal & General’s aim to help people enjoy a happy, healthy and colourful retirement.

Legal & General employees are supporting the RVS’s volunteering campaign by taking their hospital trolley services around the wards at local hospitals in Hove, Cardiff and Solihull once a week. It’s more than just a trolley service to the patients and nurses; the volunteers bring a smile to the wards which brighten up everyone’s day!

Many fund raising events are held throughout the year which included a recent Pub Quiz held at ‘The Better Half’ pub in Hove. Around 60 staff competed across 11 teams which made for a fun filled evening whilst raising around £300.

Chestnut Tree HouseChestnut Tree House, nestled on the edge of the South Downs National Park, is the children’s hospice for East and West Sussex, and South East Hampshire. It cares for 300 children and young adults from 0-19 years of age with progressive life-shortening conditions. As part of Legal & General’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategies we are committed to supporting local charities with ‘off site’ activities where we can help make a difference.

Staff based in the Hove office took part in two volunteer days during 2019 clearing flower beds, planting bulbs and tidying up the play areas at Chestnut Tree House. A tour of the facilities on site provided an insight into how the funds raised help provide vital equipment to support the children and their families. These include an on-site swimming pool, sensory room, state of the art computer technology for learning and development, a social area for teenagers and respite accommodation.


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Meet the team – Liability Data Services

Who are we?The Liability Data Services team is made up of 2 managers and 11 Data Analysts with an average of 10 years of experience in the data and pensions industry, all of which include the following key skills:

• Data Analysis• Advanced Excel and VBA skills• Programming in Python• Project Management• Agile and Lean Methodology• Data Auditing• Pension knowledge and payroll experience

What do we do?Using our bespoke software, we complete a variety of tasks to ensure that all data is understood and available for use by colleagues throughout the lifecycle of a transaction, from accurate pricing of benefits to accurate servicing of customer needs. These key tasks are:

• Data Validation – Scheme data is validated against an extensive list of rules to determine whether there are any areas for further review.

• Data Comparison – We compare multiple sets of data to look for differences or movements within the data.

• Data Auditing – Data is audited to make sure it is good quality and fit for purpose, ensuring any inconsistences are raised with the relevant parties.

You do not need to have a live transaction for us to look at your data. We are happy to get involved before you start to de-risk so that we can provide relevant information to assist in your decision making, plan your journey and ensure a smooth process.

Contact UsIf you have any questions please contact:

Jennifer Lazzeri , Head of Liability Data Services

via email: [email protected]

or telephone: 07966 506209


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Supporting our customers

The ageing demographic of our customer base inevitably means there’ll be an increase in both their temporary and long term vulnerabilities. At L&G we’re always looking at ways to help customers navigate through the challenges of later life. Whilst we’re well equipped to help customers with their pension needs, there are limited options available to offer practical help to customers who may be vulnerable or facing personal challenges.

So, we’ve been looking at new ways to support our vulnerable customers and have rolled out two new services aimed at helping our customers deal with the unexpected surprises life may throw at them.

The services • Our Customer Assistance Helpline is a free and

confidential service provided by Health Assured. The helpline is managed by fully trained counsellors and offers 24 hour support on a wide range of issues including legal guidance, bereavement, help with financial matters, as well as health and wellbeing. This service will also be offered by our Bereavement team in Cardiff to help the family members of our customers.

Health Assured currently offer this service to more than two million Legal & General customers through our Insurance and Home Finance businesses, and are a leading provider of these services in the UK.

• Our Care Concierge service provided by Care Sourcer is a free, confidential service available to customers who may be worried about planning for care, either for themselves or a loved one. Care Sourcer can help customers and their families to understand what kind of care may be appropriate, explain benefits and funding options, search for suitable care providers and guide them through difficult times like hospitalisation and finding care at a short notice.

Information on our customer support services

We’re here every step of the way

“These services support our ambition to offer market leading customer service. We believe they‘ll provide a useful resource for customers and their family members when it’s most needed.”

David Poulton, Chief Customer Officer, LGRI


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Contact usIf you would like to find out more about some of the items in this update, or if you are interested in a tour of our administration office in Hove, please let us know. We are also happy to host a Trustee meeting at our Hove office if this would be of interest.

Hove office addressLegal & General City Park The Droveway Hove BN3 7PY

David Poulton Chief Customer Officer 07850 853737 [email protected]

Yawar Choudhry Head of Client Services 07738 375381 [email protected]

David Hill Senior Transition Manager 07384 457229 [email protected]

George Hutchinson Customer Services Manager 01273 375868 [email protected]

Claire Shepherd Senior Transition Manager 07392 101822 [email protected]

David Stevenson Senior Transition Manager 07801 417465 [email protected]

Call charges will vary. We may record and monitor calls. If you’re contacting us by email please remember not to send any personal, financial or banking information, because email is not a secure method of communication.Important informationThis is not an advert for pension members or employees. It’s intended for professional financial advisers and pension trustees classified as Professional Clients and should not be relied upon by pension scheme members, employees, or any other persons. Legal & General Assurance Society Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 00166055. Registered office: One Coleman Street, London EC2R 5AA.Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

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Overview of our client and customer services · Overview of our client and customer services March 2020 5 Launch of our new online customer lounge We are proud to announce the launch