The Pensions Regulator (the “Regulator”) has announced that it will not now consult on a revised defined benefit (“DB”) funding code of practice until late summer 2022.
The Regulator’s current code of practice on DB scheme funding came into force in 2014. In 2020, the Regulator carried out the first of
The government is consulting on regulations that (a) make changes to the list of employer notifiable events and (b) prescribe the events affecting a DB scheme employer in respect of which a notice and accompanying statement (often referred to as a “declaration of intent”) must be given to the Pensions Regulator (TPR) and the scheme
You will no doubt recall that, back in February, the Pension Schemes Act 2021 (the “Act”) finally became law. The Act changes the pensions landscape quite drastically and one way it did this was to extend the Pensions Regulator (“tPR”)’s contribution notice (“CN”) regime.
What changed in a nutshell?
tPR
The government has set the automatic enrolment earning figures for the 2021/22 tax year as follows:
The earnings trigger is the level of earnings that a jobholder must receive in order to be eligible for automatic enrolment. The level of the earnings trigger has remained unchanged
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is the body responsible for regulating workplace pension schemes in the UK. Where an employer operates a defined benefit trust-based pension scheme for its employees, legislation requires it to notify TPR if certain events occur. Some events must always be notified, while others only need to be notified in certain circumstances.
On 15 October, the eagerly awaited Pension Schemes Bill (the Bill) had its first reading in the House of Lords. Whilst the Bill addresses the launch of collective defined contribution (or CDC) pension schemes and includes provisions enabling pensions dashboards, employers will be particularly impacted by the new requirement on trustees to produce a funding
When making certain future changes to their pension scheme, employers should keep in mind the requirement to consult with their employees before making the change. In this blog post, we run through the key aspects of member consultations to provide a reminder of what exactly employers need to do, and why they need to do it.
Who?
Employers who have 50 or more employees based in Great Britain are subject to consultation requirements set out in the relevant consultation regulations. This threshold is based on the number of employees the employer has, even if some of those employees are not pension scheme members.Continue Reading Talking pension changes
Recent determinations of the Pensions Ombudsman¹ have considered the extent to which employers should provide information on pension rights to employees who have notified them of a terminal illness.
The law
There is no general duty on employers to advise employees about their pension rights, or to safeguard employees’ economic well-being. Indeed, the law prohibits anyone other than a person authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority from advising on pension rights.
However, a distinction should be drawn between “advising” and “providing information”. In some situations the law imposes specific duties on employers to provide information about pension rights to employees. When the law is silent, however, getting things right can be tricky.Continue Reading Providing information about pensions to terminally ill employees – how far should employers go?
You may have seen recent – sensationalist – media headlines like:
“’We’re coming for you’ – Amber Rudd’s warning for bosses reckless with employee pensions” (ITV News)
“Reckless bosses who put workers’ pensions in danger could be jailed for seven years” (The Mirror)
“Seven-year jail terms unveiled for pension fund mismanagement” (The Guardian)
The