Council employers and trade unions have defended the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) from a fresh wave of criticism, after the Taxpayers' Alliance (TPA) reported that UK authorities had a combined retirement fund deficit of £54bn last year.

TPA researchers have long called on ministers to tackle the increasing cost of town hall pensions, controversially claiming last year that £1 out of every £5 of council tax ‘was spent on employer contributions to the LGPS'.