Survivor’s pensions and same-sex spouses—the final word on pensions inequality? (Walker v Innospec Ltd and others)

Table of contents

• Original news
• What was the background to the case?
• What issues arose for the Supreme Court’s consideration?
• What did the court decide, and why?
• To what extent is the judgment helpful in clarifying the law in this area? Are there still any unresolved issues practitioners will need to watch out for?
• What are the implications for practitioners? What will they need to be mindful of when advising in this area?

Article summary

Pensions analysis: Martin Chamberlain QC and Max Schaefer of Brick Court Chambers consider the Supreme Court’s judgment in Walker v Innospec Ltd and others and why, in schemes like the Innospec pension scheme, trustees and employers can no longer rely on the exemption under the Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010) to restrict the survivors’ benefits of same-sex spouses.