More defined benefit news – Page 28
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NewsScottish housing scheme deficit set to be cleared ahead of schedule
On the go: The Scottish Housing Association Pension Schemes’ deficit will be wiped out in September 2022, ahead of schedule, according to its 2021 valuation results.
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NewsPodcast: Trustees struggling to guide members on inflation benefits
Podcast: A report from XPS Pensions suggests that members could reap £10,000 additional benefits by delaying retirement because of the way increases and inflation are calculated, but trustees are struggling to help them because of the “red tape” around advice. LCP partner Laura Amin is joined by Hymans Robertson partner Patrick Bloomfield to discuss benefits’ inflation calculation and advice, concerns about defined benefit funding, and the women’s state pension age investigation.
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NewsOpperman rejects PPF and FAS inflation caps review
Pensions minister Guy Opperman has rebuffed an appeal from a trade union to review compensation levels in the Pension Protection Fund and the Financial Assistance Scheme, as the cost of living crisis looms over beneficiaries.
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NewsNine in 10 DB transfers receive scam warning in July
On the go: Around 94 per cent of defined benefit transfers registered as having one or more scam warning signs, according to XPS Pensions Group.
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NewsPension risk transfer market set for second-biggest year
On the go: Pension risk transfer volumes in the UK are expected to conclude the year at their second-highest level, according to Legal & General.
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NewsCourt dismisses trustee’s Barber window arrears claim
The High Court has ruled that members of the CMG UK Pension Scheme are not entitled to payment of arrears that fell due more than six years ago, despite the trustee’s attempts to continue paying them.
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NewsRising rates pose challenges for closed DB schemes’ LDI portfolios
While interest rate and inflation hedges have helped many defined benefit schemes stabilise their funding positions, the current macroeconomic environment is creating challenges for some closed plans, which might not have the necessary collateral in place to meet high payments.
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NewsPASA issues call to action on dashboards data matching
On the go: The Pensions Administration Standards Association has urged schemes to act now on data matching in preparation for dashboards, deciding how to digitally compare and match “find requests” from users against their records.
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NewsThink tank urges reform of NHS pensions’ CPI link
Think thank Policy Exchange has advised the next prime minister to revise the relationship between the consumer price index and the annual allowance for public sector pensions, in a move that could help to limit the number of GPs and consultants retiring early to avoid punitive taxes.
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NewsCivil service union issues strike ultimatum
The Public and Commercial Services Union has threatened the government with strikes in the civil service unless it accedes to demands for improved pay, pensions and job security.
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NewsExperts question timing of pensions awareness season
Commentators have queried the timing of the pensions awareness season starting later this year, which will take place during a mounting cost of living crisis ravaged by high inflation, surging energy bills and flagging consumer confidence.
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NewsNationwide university strike ballots set for September 6
The University and College Union has confirmed that strike ballots over pensions, pay and conditions will be held on September 6, potentially paving the way for “unprecedented” nationwide industrial action.
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NewsFirefighters’ options exercise requires ‘corrective action’
On the go: “Corrective action” is required for certain members of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme, after a number of Fire and Rescue Authorities failed to conduct an options exercise properly.
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NewsUCU threatens ‘unprecedented strikes’ as USS reaches surplus
The University and College Union has strongly criticised the decision to cut staff benefits, as the Universities Superannuation Scheme’s June monitoring report reveals a surplus of £1.8bn and universities prepare to embark on billions of pounds in capital expenditure.
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NewsCouncillor appeals for broader LGPS fund post-merger oversight
On the go: Scottish Greens councillor Shona McIntosh has tabled a motion for an upcoming East Lothian Council meeting, appealing for broader and more democratic oversight over the successor to the £8.6bn Lothian Pension Fund.
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NewsPrivate markets managers ‘failing to provide climate data’
On the go: Private markets managers “seem generally unprepared to support clients” with the data they need to meet their Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures requirements, Hymans Robertson has said.
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NewsPPI: More data needed on ethnic groups’ retirement outcomes
On the go: While it is known that people from Pakistani, Bangladeshi, black, and other minority ethnic groups suffer poorer retirement outcomes than the white majority of savers, the data collected does not allow us to properly examine why that is the case, according to the Pensions Policy Institute.
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NewsUnion slams Crown guarantee for Atomic Weapons scheme
The government’s decision to grant a “Crown guarantee” for the Atomic Weapons Establishment Defined Benefit Pension Scheme has been criticised by one trade union for being too late to help its members.
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NewsDelaying retirement by a day could leave members £10,000 better off
Delaying retirement by a day could leave members £10,000 better off in retirement due to the way members’ benefits are calculated based on short-term inflation rates, according to research from XPS Pensions Group.
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NewsTPR: ‘Keep asking questions’ about investment strategies
On the go: The current economic malaise, and especially the impact on liability-driven investments now interest rates are rising, proves it is especially important that trustees continue to ask questions about their investment strategies, even if they seem “silly”, says Fred Berry, the Pensions Regulator’s lead investment consultant.