UK – The Armed Forces Pensions Administration Agency is introducing a new pensions and compensation administration system to combine the needs of the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force schemes.

“The Armed Forces are in the process of a major integration project for all of its human resources functions, including pension schemes,” says Air Commodore, Ian Harvey, AFPAA. It is to be the first single, consolidated pension arrangement for the UK’s armed forces.

The implementation of the scheme started earlier this year, following extensive analysis and project preparation last year by the agency. This was done in conjunction with technology solution provider EDS.

Claybrook, a UK-based supplier of pensions software, has been contracted to provide a new pensions and compensation administration solution. It will work with EDS to manage the migration of the services currently independent schemes to the new joint scheme.

The software supplier won the contract as a result of a major competitive tender. “A key factor in Claybrook’s appointment was the company’s ability to provide a modern, off-the-shelf package that would ensure a sound platform on which to complete a project of this size in a very tight timescale and with minimal risk,” says AFPAA’s Harvey.

The new compensation scheme, due for launch later this month, will offer benefits to armed forces’ personnel following injury, accident or illness. Claybrook says it will be working with Australian software designers Softlaw, which specialises in legislative and medical definitions in compensation. Its State Expert package is integrated into the system.

Claybrook is one of three companies making up Xafinity, along with two others Paymaster and Entegria. Xafinity was launched earlier this month, formed from Benefit and Consulting Services, a division of Hogg Robinson, owned by Duke Street Capital. It has revenues of 75 million pounds sterling (109 million euros) and 1,100 personnel.