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Latest DB news
Aviva to support surplus sharing into DC master trust
Aviva’s £15bn defined contribution master trust has launched a service to make it easier for defined benefit trustees to use surplus assets to top up DC benefits.
Trusteeship standards face overhaul as DWP launches consultation
The Department for Work and Pensions has launched a consultation on improving standards of trusteeship, governance and administration across trust-based pension schemes, as consolidation accelerates and trustee responsibilities continue to expand.
Lloyds DB schemes secure further longevity reinsurance deals
Three transactions cover £4.8bn in liabilities across three schemes and come on top of two deals announced in March worth £5.1bn.
Stagecoach transfers DB scheme to Aberdeen in innovative run-on deal
Stagecoach has agreed an innovative deal with financial services giant Aberdeen to transfer the bus company’s £1.2bn defined benefit pension scheme into a ‘run on’ arrangement.
How the PPF will pay inflation-linked compensation to FAS members
The PPF expects to begin paying inflation-linked compensation to members with pre-97 benefits from January 2027, subject to the progress of the Pension Schemes Bill.
Budget round-up: Leaks, sacrifices, and unexpected changes
Pensions Expert gathers all the essential pensions reading from chancellor Rachel Reeves’ 2025 Budget speech in one place, from salary sacrifice to surplus release, and pre-1997 indexation to the financial market reaction.
Government to introduce pre-97 indexation for PPF and FAS members
The chancellor has pledged to allow the Pension Protection Fund to share its reserves with members whose benefits do not automatically increase in line with inflation.
British Coal pensioners to share in £2.3bn investment reserve
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that the investment reserve would be transferred to British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme members, following a similar decision last year affecting the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme.
Bulk annuities news – in association with Canada Life
Features and analysis
The unknown cost of pre-97 indexation to DB schemes
Potential changes to the way the PPF’s compensation is calculated and paid could have an impact on its 7800 index and some schemes in its assessment period, as Nick Reeve reports.
The PPF Purple Book: Six key charts for the corporate DB sector
The 20th edition of the Pension Protection Fund’s Purple Book shows a gradual but consistent decline in the number of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes. But below the surface, the sector remains dynamic with millions of people’s retirements at stake.
Five Questions For… Morten Nilsson, Brightwell
Pensions Expert spoke to Brightwell chief executive Morten Nilsson about the government’s surplus release plans, and how he envisages sharing the BT Pension Scheme’s experiences with the wider market.
Pensions lawyers call on government to resolve s37 uncertainty
DB pension schemes have been left in legal limbo in relation to section 37 confirmations, with the High Court expected to take several months to produce its latest judgement.
Innovation needed to stop illiquid assets delaying bulk annuities
Consultancy giant Aon has written to insurers calling for more innovation on tackling illiquid assets held by pension schemes approaching the bulk annuity market.
The unknown cost of pre-97 indexation to DB schemes
The PPF Purple Book: Six key charts for the corporate DB sector
Five Questions For… Morten Nilsson, Brightwell
Pensions lawyers call on government to resolve s37 uncertainty
Innovation needed to stop illiquid assets delaying bulk annuities
More defined benefit news
Budget to reduce tax bill for DB surplus sharing from 2027
The change means that schemes can share surpluses with pensioner members without recipients incurring large tax bills and without permanently increasing pension payments.
BBC strikes £6bn longevity swap deal to extend scheme insurance
The broadcaster’s defined benefit pension scheme has secured a longevity swap transaction with MetLife and Zurich, five years after its first such deal was completed.
Bulk annuities update: Just announces trio of sub-£50m buy-ins
Insurance company Just Group has announced three buy-ins this week, totalling approximately £80m in premiums paid.
SPP warns against blanket law change on pre-1997 indexation
The Society of Pension Professionals has urged the government not to impose a universal requirement for DB schemes to grant inflation increases on pre-1997 pensions.
PPF consults on zero levy as industry awaits Pension Schemes Bill
The lifeboat fund has set out plans to charge a zero levy for the 2026-27 financial year, with fallback options if the Pension Schemes Bill has not passed into law in time to facilitate the zero charge.
Bulk annuities: Wolseley taps £600m buy-in with Aviva
Plus: Troubled pub group Stonegate insures two pension schemes with Utmost, while Transport Friendly Society strikes a deal with Just Group for £3.3m buy-in.
PMI launches partnership initiative to boost training and development
Three administration providers have signed up as founding members of the PMI’s Development Partnerships programme, after a regulatory report flagged recruitment and retention issues in the sector.
From £160bn to £11bn: Government reins in surplus release estimate
Data highlighted by the Society of Pension Professionals shows that the government’s central estimate for capital released from DB surpluses is less than 10% of the £160bn it cited at the launch of the Pension Schemes Bill.
Comment & opinion
Superfunds stepping into the spotlight through Pension Schemes Bill
Why pensions administration is having a ‘Cinderella moment’
SPP: Is tail risk starting to wag the dog?
The Friday Takeaway: A gathering storm?
Irritation or anxiety? The financial impact of member data errors