United Kingdom: Retirement, Superannuation & Pensions

Pensions are often overlooked during divorce proceedings, particularly by women who may trade their interest in valuable pension schemes for the family home. This comprehensive guide explores the three main approaches courts take when dividing pensions—pension sharing orders, pension attachment orders, and offsetting—and examines critical considerations including taxation implications, utility discounts, and the role of pension experts in ensuring fair settlements.

This comprehensive weekly roundup examines the FCA's proposed streamlining of investment fee disclosures, exploring whether standardized cost reporting will enhance consumer confidence or introduce new complexity. The bulletin also covers Companies House's intensified identity verification enforcement, PASA's concerns about the new defined benefit surplus regime, and the FCA's research revealing widespread misconceptions about AI-generated investment advice among young investors.

The Department for Work and Pensions has launched consultations on updating GMP conversion rules and maintaining fixed rate revaluation, while PASA releases new guidance on monitoring member behavior following pensions dashboard implementation. These regulatory developments aim to clarify processes for trustees managing guaranteed minimum pension benefits and prepare schemes for operational changes.

Its overarching objective is to tackle the UK’s longstanding “advice gap” by enabling consumers to access more meaningful support when making decisions about pensions and investments, whilst maintaining appropriate standards of consumer protection.

The UK Pension Schemes Act 2026 introduces significant changes to DC pension scheme governance, with new frameworks for Value for Money assessments, scale requirements, and guided retirement principles. Trustees must navigate evolving regulatory requirements as The Pensions Regulator publishes implementation timelines and consultation documents. Understanding these developments is crucial for maintaining compliance and preparing for the upcoming regulatory landscape.

This monthly briefing examines the latest regulatory developments affecting UK pension scheme trustees, including implementation timelines for the Pension Schemes Act 2026...

The UK pensions minister has outlined the government's reform agenda, emphasizing enhanced trusteeship and governance while balancing ambitious timelines with practical implementation capacity. Key developments include the Pensions Commission's expected 2027 final report on retirement adequacy and the state pension age review scheduled for completion by March 2029.

HMRC has released detailed guidance on inheritance tax changes affecting pensions, while TPR updates its dashboards requirements and publishes expectations for AI governance in workplace pension schemes. The Pension Schemes Act 2026 has received Royal Assent, triggering consultations on Value for Money frameworks and scale requirements that will reshape the DC pensions landscape.

UK pension trustees face significant regulatory changes in 2026-2027, from inheritance tax requirements and VAT guidance updates to new dashboards reporting obligations and Value for Money frameworks. How will these reforms reshape scheme administration, funding strategies, and compliance priorities for defined benefit and hybrid pension schemes?