About Pensions Law
Pensions is already one of the most complex and technical areas of the law. And with new legislation, the advent of auto-enrolment and a move towards defined contribution schemes, it’s about to become even more challenging.
Members and benefits
Navigate the complexities of the revised pensions freedoms regime and the different circumstances of pension benefits, including periods of temporary absence and the indexation and reduction of pensions in payment.
Trustees, governance, and administration
The governance of occupational pension schemes is an area that’s expanded with the increased level of regulation. Our content helps practitioners navigate their way through the web of statutory and regulatory material.
Transactions and reorganisations
The existence of pension arrangements can add complexity and risk to even the most straightforward of corporate transactions. Our content helps guide practitioners through the issues and how to deal with them.
Legislation
Pensions is one of the most complex and technical areas of the law. And with new legislation, the advent of auto-enrolment and a move towards defined contribution schemes, it’s about to become even more challenging.
Topics We Cover
Latest Pensions News
This week’s edition of Pensions weekly highlights includes a review of key news stories, as well as dates for your diary and trackers....
The government has published the results of its annual statutory review of the automatic enrolment earnings trigger and qualifying earnings band,...
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has released its annual statistics publication on the occupational defined benefit (DB) landscape in UK for 2025. This...
The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) has published a factsheet to help scheme members understand the key issues which arise when a pension has been overpaid....
The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) has published a report calling for a bold evolution of the UK’s sustainability...
Latest Pensions Practice Notes
Part-time workers, fixed-term workers and discrimination—the key cases for pension lawyersThis Practice Note contains references to case law of the...
Methods of valuing DB pension liabilities and related funding conceptsTHIS PRACTICE NOTE APPLIES IN RELATION TO DEFINED BENEFIT LIABILITIESHow defined...
Key UK tax rates, thresholds and allowancesThis Practice Note sets out the key UK tax rates, thresholds and allowances. This Practice Note is intended...
Tax treatment of pensions—an introductionBroadly speaking, tax applies to UK registered pension schemes in three different areas:•tax treatment of...
Moral hazard—themes from the cases of TPRWhat are the moral hazard powers?Broadly, the moral hazard powers of the Pensions Regulator (TPR) under the...
Latest Pensions Precedents
HMRC salary sacrifice clearance letterFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 26 November 2025, as part of Budget 2025, it was announced that from April 2029, only...
Acknowledgment of changes to terms and conditions of employment to implement salary sacrificesFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 26 November 2025, as part of...
Salary sacrifice scheme—employee FAQsFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 26 November 2025, as part of Budget 2025, it was announced that from April 2029, only the...
Standard order 2.1—financial remedy orderIn the Family Courtsitting at [court name]Case No: [case number][The Matrimonial Causes Act 1973ORThe...
Letter from employee to company confirming agreement to salary sacrificeFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 26 November 2025, as part of Budget 2025, it was...
Latest Pensions Q&As
Featured Pensions content
Self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs)
Self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs)When personal pensions were first introduced in April 1988, they could only be established by authorised...
Small self-administered schemes (SSASs)
Small self-administered schemes (SSASs)What is a SSAS?Small self-administered schemes (SSASs) are usually registered pension schemes that are set up...
Section 32 buy-out policies
Section 32 buy-out policiesWhat is a section 32 buy-out policy?A term which may be often heard within the pensions arena is that of the ‘section 32...
The pre A-day pensions tax regime [Archived]
The pre A-day pensions tax regimeThe pensions tax regime under the Finance Act 2004 came into effect on 6 April 2006, otherwise known as A-day. The...
How is the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) different from a typical occupational pension scheme?
How is the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) different from a typical occupational pension scheme?FORTHCOMING DEVELOPMENT: Section 10 of the...
Registration of pension schemes
Registration of pension schemesBenefits of registrationRegistration provides advantageous tax reliefs and exemptions for a pension scheme and its...
DWP finds £571.6m state pension shortfall
The DWP announced on 21 March 2024 that it has so far identified 97,000 payments that were each short between £2,192 and £12,486.The DWP has launched...
Are apprentices auto-enrolled into a pension if they earn under 10,000 per year and are aged under 18?
What issues should an employer consider when providing life insurance to its employees?
Anti-franking
Anti-frankingThe conceptIt used to be the case that contracted-out salary-related (COSR) schemes could revalue a deferred member's guaranteed minimum...
Surrender and forfeiture of pension benefits
Surrender and forfeiture of pension benefitsTHIS PRACTICE NOTE APPLIES TO OCCUPATIONAL PENSION SCHEMES ONLYThis Practice Note considers the extent to...
Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS)
Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS)Why use a QROPS?In practice, many Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPSs) are...
Bridging pensions
Bridging pensionsThis Practice Note contains references to case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. For guidance on whether EU...
Pension consultation requirements
Pension consultation requirementsEmployers are required by statute to consult with members or their representatives for at least 60 days before making...
Relevant life and excepted group life policies—practical issues
Relevant life and excepted group life policies—practical issuesStatute provides for two tax-efficient alternatives to a life assurance policy held...
Investment management agreements—trustee considerations
Investment management agreements—trustee considerationsThe management of assets belonging to another person on a discretionary basis is a 'regulated...
Auto-enrolment—postponement
Auto-enrolment—postponementAn employer can postpone the date on which the auto-enrolment obligations would otherwise apply to an eligible jobholder by...
Types of pension schemes—beginners’ guide
Types of pension schemes—beginners’ guideThis guide is primarily aimed at trainees, newly qualified lawyers and other persons who are new to or...
Associated legal terms
Buy-out basis
Method of calculating the defined benefit liabilities of a pension scheme, which reflects the cost of buying out those liabilities through the purchase of matching annuities. SI 2005/678, reg 5(11) provides that the amount of the liabilities in respect of pensions and other benefits is to be calculated and verified by the actuary on the assumption that they will be discharged by the purchase of annuities of the kind described in section 74(3)(c) of the Pensions Act 1995 (discharge of liabilities; annuity purchase) and for this purpose the actuary must estimate the cost of purchasing annuities.
Multi-asset management
A single manager is responsible for several asset classes and is measured against a peer group or customised benchmark which specifies a fixed asset allocation. (The manager may or may not have discretion to vary the allocation around this benchmark.)
Pension increase
Increase to a pension or annuity that is already in payment, either as a result of indexation or the exercise of a discretion.
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