I have been pondering the fact that we are coming up to a quarter of the way through the century. When Big Ben chimes in the new year, it will be 2025. How did that happen? And what has changed
Pensions and Benefits
Latest from Pensions and Benefits
It’s A Fair Challenge! Penalty Decisions Examined
In recent years, The Pensions Regulator (“TPR”) has been steadfast in enforcing compliance among pension scheme trustees and employers, often issuing penalties for non-compliance. However, recent cases indicate that with a valid reason, it is possible to contest and even…
Employer Indemnities – Will They Work If Push Comes to Shove?
To what extent does your trustee board understand the various ways in which they might be protected if things go wrong and claims are made against them? It is a difficult topic to think about, as no trustee ever wants…
Is £1 Million Enough?
It’s Yorkshire Day on 1 August and, when I was thinking about this blog, the stereotype of a stingy Yorkshireman came to mind. Not because I think Yorkshire folk are actually stingy. I don’t! I was wondering whether TPR’s powers…
Pensions Dashboards – Thyme Is of the Essence: How to Meet the 8 August 2024 Deadline
A key deadline is looming under the 2022 Dashboards Regulations, and it is not your pension scheme’s “connect by” date, nor is it the ultimate statutory connection deadline of 31 October 2026.
Pension schemes have until 8 August 2024…
Give Me an ‘E’, Give Me an ‘S’, Give Me a ‘G’!
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is never out of the news for long. With manifestos from the Lib Dems and Labour containing pledges around pension funds being required to align with the Paris Agreement goals, and the Green Party’s manifesto…
Trustee Protection on Winding Up – Pensions Life Hack
Trustees of many defined benefit pension schemes are accelerating moves towards buyout, aided by recent market improvements. While the immediate focus may be on completing the buyout, trustees should plan ahead for the scheme wind up and consider how they…
The General Code in Bite-Sized Chunks – Proportionality for Schemes in the “End Game”
Many pension scheme trustees and employers aspire to undertake a risk transfer transaction, typically an insurance company buy-out for defined benefit (DB) schemes or a transfer to a master trust for defined contribution (DC) schemes. In each case, this will…
Pensions Life Hacks − Alternative Options for Defined Benefit (DB) Risk Transfer
Questions around the “end game” for DB schemes dominate the pensions press at the moment. The amount of tax due on authorised surplus payments to employers reduced from 35% to 25% from 6 April 2024 and we await the outcome…
The General Code in Bite-Sized Chunks – Counting Members for General Code Compliance Is Definitely Not a Piece of Cake!
Have you ever asked a seemingly straightforward question, only to be met with an answer that starts with “Well, it depends…..”? This can be a touch irritating. However, it may be the first part of the answer given to trustees…