All legal articles – Page 3
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NewsPodcast: Partial AE reform should be prioritised before long-term fix
Podcast: The absence of auto-enrolment reform from the Queen’s speech means the government will be hard-pressed to meet its middle-of-the-decade deadline to achieve it. The priority should be getting the most important parts done as quickly as possible, and introducing the rest of the 2017 reform proposals enacted longer-term. Sackers partner Helen Ball and Mark Ormston, chair of the Industry Policy Committee at the Pensions Administration Standards Association, discuss auto-enrolment, online safety and the proposed value for money framework.
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NewsHymans Robertson calls for AE credits to tackle gender gap
Hymans Robertson has called for the creation of auto-enrolment credits in a bid to tackle the gender pensions gap, which would see the government paying pension contributions for people taking career breaks.
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NewsOmbudsman fines Cabinet Office and civil service scheme admin
The Pensions Ombudsman has partly upheld a complaint against the Cabinet Office and MyCSP, the administrator of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, after they failed to properly process a member’s request to cease payments to his “added years contract”.
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NewsITV hit with £133mn warning notice by TPR
The Pensions Regulator has slapped a £133mn warning notice on broadcaster ITV after it failed to provide adequate support to the Box Clever pension scheme by the regulator’s deadline.
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NewsNo AE reform, but Queen’s Speech measures spark protests
There was no mention of automatic enrolment reform in the Queen’s Speech, but bills around local boycotts, online safety and a revamped audit and reporting framework will all impact the industry, experts have said.
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NewsMcCloud sees more public sector schemes breach cost-cap ceiling
Three more public sector schemes have breached the cost-control mechanism as a result of the McCloud remedy, the Government Actuary’s Department has confirmed.
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NewsElectricity pensioners launch campaign amid inflation fears
The Association of Electricity Supply Pensioners has launched a campaign to protect the benefits of more than 100,000 members of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme, amid fears that pension increases that do not match inflation could amount to significant losses.
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NewsTPR aims for transparency in consolidated enforcement powers
The Pensions Regulator has launched a consultation into a new draft enforcement policy document that aims to consolidate existing enforcement policies governing defined benefit, hybrid, public sector and defined contribution pension schemes.
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NewsGMP conversion bill receives royal assent
On the go: A private members’ bill aimed at clarifying and streamlining the process of guaranteed minimum pensions conversion has received royal assent.
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NewsContribution notice of £3.6mn hints at ‘new era’ of TPR powers
Legal commentators have hailed what could be the start of a “new era” in the Pensions Regulator’s enforcement powers after its determinations panel handed down a contribution notice for more than £3mn to two individuals connected with the Meghraj Group Pensions Scheme.
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NewsInstitute and Faculty of Actuaries issues climate risk alert
On the go: The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries has published a new alert warning of the risk that actuaries may not be appropriately considering or communicating the impact of climate change, and has committed to releasing new guidance in this area.
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NewsUSS and University of Southampton make AVC blunder
On the go: The Pensions Ombudsman has partially upheld a complaint against the University of Southampton and the Universities Superannuation Scheme trustee after a communication lapse saw a member continue to make annual voluntary contributions after her policy had ended.
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NewsMcCloud remedy causes three of four schemes to breach cost cap
The Government Actuary’s Department has published the cost cap valuations of four public sector schemes, confirming that the cost of implementing the McCloud remedy has led to a breach of the cost control mechanism, cancelling previously-agreed benefits increases.
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NewsOverpayment woes at Teachers’ Pension Scheme continue
The Pensions Ombudsman has partially upheld two more complaints about overpayments to members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, the latest in a series of cases where the scheme and its administrators, Teachers’ Pensions, have faced accusations of maladministration.
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NewsHMRC to address GMP conversion tax issues ‘in the coming weeks’
The government has promised supplementary guidance on guaranteed minimum pensions conversion “in the coming weeks” and confirmed it is working on legislative changes, as the debate on the second reading of the pension schemes (conversion of GMPs) bill concludes in the House of Lords.
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NewsAppeals made as foreign exchange class action proceeds on opt-in basis
The Competition Appeal Tribunal has ruled that a class action suit against banks for participating in a foreign exchange spot trading cartel must proceed on an opt-in basis, leading to fears that thousands of pension funds could miss their opportunity to join the suit.
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NewsRegulator's notifiable events regime could be delayed
On the go: Industry commentators are asking whether the Pensions Regulator’s new notifiable events regime might be delayed, as the government has yet to respond to last year’s consultation into the expansion of the regulator’s powers.
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NewsGovt to consult on McCloud tax legislation this summer
On the go: The government has committed to provide tax-free compensation to members who choose reformed scheme as opposed to legacy scheme benefits under the McCloud remedy, and will consult on the necessary legislation in the summer.
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NewsGovt allocates £425mn for teachers’ remedy back payments
On the go: The government has allocated £425mn for back payments to members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, and others within scope of the Goodwin ruling from 2020.
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NewsPlumbing Pensions to use member funds to fight section 75 claims
The Court of Session in Edinburgh has granted Plumbing Pensions permission to use member funds to defend against legal claims from employers over its pursuit of section 75 liabilities.