The Pension Schemes Act 2021, which will introduce new pension criminal offences, £1m regulatory fines and new requirements relating to funding and climate-related risks, received Royal Assent on 11 February 2021 but most of its provisions do not come into force imediately. Most of these measures are likely to come into force during the next … Read more

The Pensions Minister, Guy Opperman, has confirmed the Government’s timetable for implementing key elements of the Pension Schemes Act 2021. In a written ministerial statement published on 2 March, the Minister has confirmed the Government’s intention to introduce the new criminal offences and regulatory sanctions by the Autumn and to consult on draft regulations to … Read more

As expected, today’s Budget focused on: maintaining support for businesses and individuals during the remainder of the Covid-19 pandemic, starting the work of containing the ballooning national deficit, and laying the foundations for the future economy (with plans announced to promote green growth, change the economic geography of the country and to ensure we are … Read more

The Government has confirmed that it plans to increase the minimum pension age at which benefits under registered pension schemes can generally be accessed, without a tax penalty, from age 55 to age 57 from 6 April 2028. In a consultation paper which outlines how the Government intends to implement this, it has set out … Read more

The latest edition of our Pensions Planner is here. Click on the image below to open your copy. The Planner and our handy timeline will help you keep up-to-date with the latest developments in pensions law and practice and identify the key pensions issues that your scheme or organisation needs to address in the coming … Read more

The Pension Schemes Act 2021 finally received Royal Assent on 11 February 2021. The Act contains some significant new funding requirements for defined benefit (DB) occupational pension schemes which mean that trustees and sponsors will soon be required to set a legally binding long-term objective for their scheme. In future, this objective will drive the … Read more

The Pension Schemes Act 2021 finally received Royal Assent yesterday, paving the way for the most significant reform of the regulatory regime for defined benefit (DB) pension schemes since its introduction in 2006. The Act introduces new criminal offences and new regulatory powers for the Pensions Regulator that could: significantly impact corporate activity, including M&A … Read more

The DWP has confirmed its plans to introduce new requirements relating to the management and disclosure of climate-related risks for the largest UK pension schemes. The proposed plans were broadly supported by the industry. However, the DWP made some changes in light of the consultation responses it received. Most notably, adjusting the deadline for schemes … Read more