All legal articles – Page 2
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NewsLGPS board presses new ministers on TCFD timetable
On the go: The Scheme Advisory Board of the Local Government Pension Scheme has written to two newly appointed government ministers urging them to commit to a timetable for scheme reform, as fears mount that important consultations could be delayed.
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NewsDLUHC rules out requirement for LGPS to provide life assurance AVCs
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has confirmed there is no regulatory requirement to provide life assurance additional voluntary contributions under the 2013 regulations governing the Local Government Pension Scheme, but said it will consider amending the rules to clarify matters.
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NewsPodcast: Ball in TPR’s court as DB funding code consultation launches
Podcast: The consultation into the defined benefit funding code by the Department for Work and Pensions hints at a prescriptive regime to come, but the Pensions Regulator must improve on its “rubbish” code of practice draft, according to Zedra client director Richard Butcher. He and Hymans Robertson partner Laura McLaren discuss the next steps, stronger nudge concerns, and assess the health of pensions post-Maxwell.
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NewsPPF to cover costs of scheme Fraud Compensation Fund claims
The Department for Work and Pensions is consulting on regulatory amendments that would allow the Pension Protection Fund to make interim payments to cover scheme fees and costs during Fraud Compensation Fund claims, and remove a loophole regarding child dependants.
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NewsPodcast: Providers delaying transfers are failing their customers
Podcast: The Department for Work and Pensions has been clear about the intent of regulations governing transfers, and providers continuing to delay them are doing their members a disservice, argues PensionBee founder Romi Savova. She is joined by Penfold co-founder Pete Hykin to discuss the ongoing transfer fight, the fallout from pensions minister Guy Opperman’s resignation that wasn’t, and employers misunderstanding auto-enrolment.
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NewsDWP spends £13mn in arrears to FAS members due to court cases
The Department for Work and Pensions is estimating a total cost of £13mn in arrears paid to Financial Assistance Scheme members due to the implementation of recent court cases, its annual report and accounts have revealed.
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NewsOpperman rebuffs Timms’ FAS criticism
On the go: Prior to his resignation, pensions minister Guy Opperman rejected Work and Pensions Committee chair Sir Stephen Timms’ criticisms over the Financial Assistance Scheme compensation cap.
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NewsDWP fails to end transfer ‘war’ between PensionBee and providers
Attempts by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Pensions Regulator to clarify the intent behind rules governing pension transfers have failed to settle the matter between PensionBee and providers it accused of wrongdoing, as critics say intent does not trump law.
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NewsTPR working on granting pensions to 200,000 gig economy workers
On the go: The Pensions Regulator is working to give gig economy workers access to pensions, but “legal complexities and routine challenges from employers” remain a challenge.
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NewsPensionBee reports providers to DWP alleging transfer rules abuse
PensionBee has reported a number of providers to the Department for Work and Pensions, accusing them of exploiting regulatory loopholes to obstruct and delay transfers.
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PodcastsPodcast: Schemes will have a tough job weighing up discretionary increases
Podcast: A difficult balance must be struck where schemes are considering discretionary increases: alleviating the cost of living crisis for some members will have to be weighed against the needs of the current workforce. Aon partner Lynda Whitney is joined by Tim Middleton, director of policy and external affairs at the Pensions Management Institute, to discuss this dilemma, as well as the progress of the McCloud remedy and schemes’ dashboard readiness.
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NewsDWP’s dashboards consultation criticised over launch date proposals
A second government consultation into pensions dashboards has been criticised over plans to give schemes just 90 days’ notice before the dashboards go live, with experts warning of a capacity crunch.
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NewsIndustry calls for clarity on TPR’s enforcement powers
Industry experts, though broadly supportive of the Pensions Regulator’s approach to its new enforcement powers, have nonetheless called for additional clarity in how they will be used, with some concerned that outcomes could be determined in part by “luck”.
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NewsCost of discretionary increases to combat inflation could hit £18bn
The cost of awarding discretionary increases to members could now add £18bn to defined benefit schemes' liabilities, experts have warned, as inflation continues to rise.
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NewsGovt to push ahead with firefighters and police McCloud reforms
The government will press ahead with planned reforms implementing the McCloud remedy with respect to members of the police and firefighters’ pension schemes, making amendments to ill-health provisions for the latter, despite concerns the remedy might itself be discriminatory.
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NewsTPR’s new DB funding code expected in September 2023
The Pensions Regulator expects its much-anticipated new defined benefit funding code to be in place and operational by September 2023, according to its latest corporate plan.
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NewsFirefighters go to court over ‘letter aimed at blocking pensions’
The Fire Brigades Union is preparing legal action after it received a letter intended for chief fire officers, which it described as an attempt “to block firefighters receiving the pensions they are legally entitled to”.
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NewsLecturers’ USS lawsuit frustrated by centuries-old precedent
A lawsuit against Universities Superannuation Scheme directors alleging climate inaction and breaches of duty has failed on a technicality dating back to 1843, though the judge in the case did find that beneficiaries of a pension fund corporation do sometimes have the right to sue directors.
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NewsProcurement bill introduces uncertainty for regulated schemes
Government attempts to introduce flexibility to simplified public procurement processes could have an impact on regulated pension schemes, which will have to deal with increased uncertainty as a result.
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NewsDisabled savers’ pension wealth is just 36% of UK average
On the go: Auto-enrolment is excluding disabled savers, leaving them with pension wealth of just 36 per cent of the average UK saver, according to new research from Now Pensions.