About our services

Our expert technical skills, high professional standards and industry sector knowledge enable effective decision making and policy development.

The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) delivers impartial, expert analysis to help government navigate risk and make better decisions. We combine deep technical expertise with practical insight to solve complex financial challenges across the public sector.

What we do

GAD provides actuarial advice and analysis to the UK government, devolved administrations, local authorities and the wider public sector. Our multidisciplinary teams of actuaries, analysts and specialist consultants bring expertise across pensions, investment, insurance, financial risk, climate risk, social security, workforce planning, disaster risk, data analytics and health and social care.

Our work underpins some of the UK’s most significant financial commitments, including public service pension schemes that benefit around 15 million individuals – including police, firefighters, healthcare professionals, teachers and civil servants. We support government departments across a wide range of initiatives, from reporting on Great Britain’s National Insurance Fund and State Pension age to climate risk analysis, estimating future clinical negligence claims, advising on school insurance alternatives and providing expertise for disaster risk finance.

Our services across a range of areas are described below. To find out more about the work we do, please see our collection of case studies.

Working with GAD

As a Civil Service department, we provide impartial and objective advice, free from commercial interests. Our services are charged on a cost-recovery basis. We have a proven track record of delivering quality advice to our clients – with 99% of respondents to our latest client feedback survey awarding us 4 or more stars for being highly valued.

We work flexibly with clients – from one-off projects to long-term secondments and embedded support, providing direct access to our specialist expertise within client organisations.

It is straightforward to work with us. Our guidance on procuring our services gives more information.

If you are interested in using our services, please contact: enquiries@gad.gov.uk.

Workforce and retirement

Public service pensions

We provide actuarial advice and specialist pensions insights to government departments and public sector bodies responsible for public service pension schemes, which deliver benefits to around 15 million people in the UK. Our services include scheme valuations and policy advice to inform scheme management and long-term financial planning, ensuring public service pensions are sustainable and valued.

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Funded pension schemes

We advise funded occupational pension schemes across the wider public sector, working with both scheme trustees and sponsoring bodies. Our support includes strategic reviews of benefits and investments – helping clients to understand and manage the risks and financial implications of the schemes for which they are responsible.

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Staff transfers

We support public sector bodies through staff transfers that affect pension arrangements. Our services include broad comparability assessments (ensuring new pension arrangements are at least as good as existing ones), advice on potential shortfalls arising from bulk transfers, support for staff communications and liaison with pensions administrators and legal advisers. This ensures a smooth transfer process and protection for members’ pension interests. Further guidance is available on our staff transfers page.

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Workforce strategy

We use actuarial expertise to inform strategic workforce planning for public bodies, building robust projection models to help forecast and prepare for future challenges. Our services include reviewing and validating workforce planning models, including their underlying assumptions and governance structures. We also assist in aligning pension and reward strategies, to help attract and retain talent.

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Pensions administration support

We help administrators of public service pension schemes to deliver major projects alongside day-to-day services. This includes help with procurement and transition of administration platforms and providers, impartial assurance, data quality and pensions dashboards. Our hands-on experience ensures the successful implementation of change.

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Societal challenges

Climate risk

We help public sector bodies understand and manage the financial risks from climate change. Our services include scenario analysis, financial risk modelling, impartial quality assurance and analysis to support mitigation and adaptation strategies. We also provide support for climate disclosure requirements, including alignment with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). This ensures transparent, robust climate risk reporting.

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Health and social care

We apply actuarial expertise to the financial and demographic challenges facing the UK’s health and social care systems. Our advice covers demand and cost projections, health analytics, innovative financing and impartial review of client models. This helps clients plan for pressures such as an ageing population and rising care costs.

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Social security

We provide expert analysis to support the financial sustainability of Great Britain’s National Insurance Fund. Our annual reports to Parliament assess the impact of changes to benefit rates and National Insurance contributions, helping to inform key decisions on social security policy. Every 5 years, we produce a comprehensive review that forecasts the Fund’s long-term outlook and highlights future challenges and opportunities. Beyond the UK, we advise social security institutions in other countries and Crown Dependencies, including Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Our actuarial expertise helps governments design and maintain robust, resilient social security systems.

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Pensions policy

We offer expert technical guidance and analysis on pensions policy and related issues, drawing on deep sector knowledge and extensive experience. Our advice supports government in developing effective, evidence-based pensions policy.

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Insurance and market failure

Government risk pools

We provide actuarial oversight and risk management support for major public sector risk pools, including the property damage scheme for schools and the clinical negligence scheme for NHS trusts. Our work includes liability estimation, claims analysis and advice on contribution rates, supporting the financial sustainability of these schemes.

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Contingent liabilities

We advise on the assessment and management of contingent liabilities – potential financial obligations that may arise from uncertain future events. Using our insurance sector expertise, we support policy development, analyse the risks and model possible scenarios – including where government addresses gaps in private sector coverage (such as flood cover) or quantifying unusual risks with little or no data. Our work ensures these liabilities are properly recognised, valued and reported.

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Disaster risk finance

We partner with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the World Bank and the Centre for Disaster Protection to support low- and middle-income countries and humanitarian organisations to enhance their disaster resilience. Our services include financial impact modelling, impartial assurance on risk financing strategies and capacity building through training and guidance. Our work helps ensure timely, targeted financial support reaches those most in need when crises occur.

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Ogden tables

We produce the ‘Ogden’ tables, which are used by actuaries, lawyers and others to calculate the lump sum compensation in personal injury and fatal accident cases.

Assurance and financial risk

Modelling and quality assurance

We provide expert modelling and impartial quality assurance to government departments and public sector bodies. Our services cover the entire model development process from specification to implementation and communication. Our model reviews ensure calculations are robust, reasonable and transparent, supporting critical decisions and policy development.

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Investment risk

We help clients manage long-term financial obligations by analysing future expenditure and developing funding and investment strategies to mitigate risk. Our advice covers investment strategy reviews, asset-liability modelling and funding evaluations, supporting government to maximise value from investment funds and develop effective policy.

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Credit risk

We advise on the risks of credit arrangements, such as loans and guarantees, using actuarial modelling to assess financial implications. We also provide assurance on clients’ economic capital models required under the Financial Transaction Control Framework, helping departments understand their exposure and make informed decisions.

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