All Contracting out articles – Page 2

  • News

    New guidance for joint GMP rectification and equalisation

    2020-03-17T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Pension schemes considering combining their guaranteed minimum pension rectification and equalisation projects can now follow new guidance published by the cross-industry GMP Equalisation Working Group.

  • Mark Williams
    Opinion

    What HMRC’s guidance means for GMP in 2020

    2020-03-10T00:00:00Z

    Conducting guaranteed minimum pensions equalisation is like assembling flat-packed furniture: just when you think you’re getting there you realise you’re missing half the screws. 

  • Opinion

    GMP equalisation: Was it worth it?

    2020-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Equality is a noble principle. But try applying this concept to pensions and you get all sorts of complications and perverse outcomes.

  • News

    HMRC GMP equalisation guidance fails to address all tax issues

    2020-02-20T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Long-awaited guidance on tax issues arising from the equalisation of guaranteed minimum pensions has failed to address key technical and tax issues, according to experts.

  • News

    BT appeal on guaranteed minimum pensions indexation dismissed

    2020-01-28T00:00:00Z

    On the go: BT will have to extend the full indexation of guaranteed minimum pensions to certain members of its pension scheme affected by a government decision, after having its appeal dismissed.

  • Podcasts

    Podcast: Vegan case flags importance of heeding members

    2020-01-21T00:00:00Z

    Podcast: Trustees and employers should consult members on their beliefs, and incorporate the investment views of the majority in their pension default fund, according to Romi Savova, chief executive at PensionBee, and David Brooks, technical director at Broadstone. The experts discuss the impacts of a landmark ruling finding that veganism is a philosophical belief, alongside other topics, in this week’s podcast.

  • News

    HMRC delays GMP reconciliation final timeline again

    2020-01-16T00:00:00Z

    On the go: HM Revenue & Customs has again declined to announce a new timeline for the guaranteed minimum pension reconciliation final data cuts, despite having promised that its next update would bring a string of delays to an end.

  • News

    GMP rectification facing further delays after HMRC announcement

    2020-01-10T00:00:00Z

    The government’s delayed timeline for confirming payments due under guaranteed minimum pensions reconciliation will be published soon, HM Revenue & Customs announced on Thursday, as it attempted to put an end to long-running confusion over partial payments.

  • News

    PPF includes levy adjustment for GMP equalisation

    2019-12-16T00:00:00Z

    The Pension Protection Fund will allow companies moving from a profit to a loss – due to the impact of guaranteed minimum pensions equalisation – to request an adjustment in their levy calculations.

  • News

    Ombudsman: DWP failed to explain GMP downgrade to members

    2019-11-22T00:00:00Z

    The Department for Work and Pensions failed to properly communicate the detrimental impact that ending contracting out had on increases for individuals with a guaranteed minimum pension, the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman has concluded.

  • News

    DWP to ‘investigate’ extending removal of member consent for bulk transfers

    2018-02-26T00:00:00Z

    The government has made a number of changes to regulations that will allow bulk transfers without member consent to schemes that have never been contracted out, and has said it will look into whether the rules should also apply to non-salary-related schemes.

  • News

    DWP hopes contracted-out transfers will smooth BHS deal

    2017-04-28T00:00:00Z

    The Department for Work and Pensions has published “urgent” regulations for struggling contracted-out schemes, in a bid to protect pensioners during deals such as the regulated apportionment arrangement of BHS.

  • News

    HMRC consults on GMP equalisation despite Brexit

    2016-12-01T00:00:00Z

    The government has this week launched a consultation on the methodology for equalisation of guaranteed minimum pensions, indicating commitment to the issue, which goes back to EU law, despite the Brexit vote.

  • On track to reduce NIC impact
    News

    Network Rail plans £19m savings following NI cost hike

    2016-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Network Rail expects to save around £19m annually following a swath of amendments to two of its schemes to mitigate the increased costs of contracting-out cessation, as many schemes either absorb the cost or close.

  • Features

    GMP top priority this year but trustees could be missing the bigger picture

    2016-05-06T00:00:00Z

    Respondents to consultancy Capita’s 'Pension scheme insight report' cited guaranteed minimum pension reconciliation, member communications and derisking as their main concerns for 2016, but experts say there are more acute challenges that schemes fail to address.

  • Getty Images
    Features

    Fallout from contracting-out continues at Bombardier

    2016-04-05T00:00:00Z

    Workers at engineering company Bombardier are considering industrial action over employer plans to pass on the cost of contracting-out cessation to members of two of its defined benefit schemes, while sharing the cost for the Railways Pension Scheme.

  • Duncan Buchanan, Jill Clucas
    Opinion

    Offsetting costs from the end of contracting-out

    2016-04-01T00:00:00Z

    Hogan Lovell’s Duncan Buchanan and Jill Clucas explain what options are open to employers and schemes for dealing with increased national insurance costs when contracting-out ends this week.

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Disruption, dispute – discontent?

    2016-03-24T00:00:00Z

    The news that Royal Bank of Scotland is shifting £18m of annual national insurance contributions – the increase it will face when contracting-out kicks in on April 6 – to 27,000 defined benefit members may not faze pensions lawyers, given it is legal to do so.

  • Getty Images
    News

    RBS decision to pass on £18m NI costs to members 'unsurprising'

    2016-03-21T00:00:00Z

    Members of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s defined benefit pension scheme are set to foot the bill for an £18m rise in the bank’s national insurance contributions following the end of contracting-out, raising the question of whether this practice could become the norm.

  • Chris Parrish
    Opinion

    PPF: Don’t delay GMP reconciliation

    2016-03-07T00:00:00Z

    The GMP reconciliation deadline is looming, and where schemes fail to reconcile data, liabilities could increase unnecessarily. The Pension Protection Fund’s Chris Parrish says where schemes in PPF assessment can seek help.