Roderick Ramage

list of published articles on pension law topics


disclaimer

None of these articles or precedents is advice to any person and none of them may be taken as a definitive statement of the law in general or in any particular case. The author does not accept any responsibility for anything that any person does or does not do as a result of reading them.


 

Pensions for transferring employees on public sector outsourcing

The 2007 Directions give statutory force to provision to protect the pension rights of employees who are transferred by TUPE to the private sector as a result of public sector outsourcing (by best value authorities).  Previously these rights have been protected by the Fair Deal for employees guidance, which did not have statutory force.

1st published 31 December 2007 (distribution to professional contacts)

Multi-employer schemes – proposed new regulations

The present arrangements (see below) to trigger and deal with debts on the employer on an employer in a multi-employer scheme are to be revised, but evidently the drafting has been harder than the DWP anticipated.

1st published 31 December 2007 (distribution to professional contacts)

Pensions Act 2007 and Pensions Bill 2007

A summary of the main features of the Pensions Act 2007,  and the bill intended to become the Pensions Act 2008, much of which, notably auto-enrolment of jobholders into pension schemes and the establishment of personal accounts, is expected to come into force in 2012.

1st published 31 December 2007 (distribution to professional contacts)

Age discrimination and pensions

A summary of the main impact of the age equality regulations on both occupational and personal pension schemes

1st published 28 December 2006 (distribution to professional contacts)

TUPE and pensions

An update on the effect of the Pensions Act 2004 dealing with (1) what pension a transferee employer must provide and (2) the likelihood that the right to belong to stand-alone life assurance schemes now pass under TUPE.  This is a shorter version of the article below on the same topic.

1st published 28 December 2006 (distribution to professional contacts)

Deeds and rules after A-Day – longer version

shorter (1 page) version

A summary of the main alterations which are likely to be needed to pension scheme trust deeds and rules to reflect changes to the tax system on A-Day (6 April 2006) and other changes made mostly by the Pensions Act 2004.  This is a draft because not all relevant regulations have been published and pension practitioners are still working out what needs to be done.

1st published 6 February 2006 (distribution to professional contacts), revised 10 March 2006

Money purchase – trust or contract based pension schemes

A comparison of the two types with a recommendation that an employer establishing a money purchase scheme should use a contract based scheme.

1st published 30 December 2005 (distribution to professional contacts)

Reporting and whistleblowing under the Pensions Act 2004 – short

The hazards of pension disclosure – longer version

First a summary of matters that employers and trustees are required to report to the Pensions Regulator and secondly the circumstances in which a solicitor is required to blow the whistle.

1st published (short) 30 December 2005 (distribution to professional contacts)

1st published (long) 20 January 2005 (New Law Journal)

Pensions in corporate finance transactions

An analysis of the permutations of seller’s and buyer’s pension arrangements and their impact on sales of shares or business assets

1st published 1 January 2002 (distribution to professional contacts)

revised 1 January 2006

Conflicts  of interest between pension scheme trustees and directors of the sponsoring company

This is a draft and has not been published but if any reader has a view on the subject his or her comments will be very welcome and might lead t an article for publication.

1st published 13 September 2005

Multi-employer pension schemes

Note about the increased s75 debt on an employer ceasing to participate in a pension scheme and the possibility of making a withdrawal arrangement to reduce the debt payable immediately.

1st published 2 September 2005 (distribution to professional contacts)

Pensions Act 2004 – “Moral Hazard”

Description of the provisions for contributions notices, financial support orders and restoration orders

1st published 2 March 2005 (distribution to professional contacts)

TUPE after the Pensions Act 2004

Summary of the requirement for a transferee to provide an alternative to the transferor’s occupational pension scheme.

1st published 10 January 2005 (New Law Journal), revised 4 April and 18 November 2006

Pensions Act 2004

Short summary of a few topics of practical interest

1st published 29 December 2004 (distribution to professional contacts)

Sellers’ Pension Schemes

A note of the risk that control the seller’s own pension scheme may pass to the buyer on the sale of a company

1st published 29 December 2004 (distribution to professional contacts)

“moral hazard” clauses in the Pensions Bill 2004

First thoughts on the possible impact of the contribution notice and financial support direction provisions in the bill or corporate finance transactions.

1st published 2 July 2004 (New Law Journal) –updated 10 July 2004, superseded 2 March 2005

new pension limits – pre A-Day action

A brief note summarising the main points of the government’s proposed £1.4m lifetime limit and what advance actions might be taken.

NB  Substantially superseded by “Deeds and rules after A-Day 04/02/06

1st published 6 January 2004 (distribution to professional contacts) updated May 2004

Closing pension schemes – some hazards

A brief note showing that closing a scheme can lead to it being wound up and how timing the MFR calculation may maximise of debt on the employer.

1st published 27 December 2002 (distribution to professional contacts) – revised 2 July 2003, New Law Journal 1 August 2003

TUPE & Pensions

Letter explaining that the ECJ decision in the Beckmann case limits the exemptions of occupational pension schemes from TUPE, revised following the Martin case.

1st published 17 June 2002 (distribution to professional contacts) – revised 3 December 2003

Pensions and maternity leave

A brief note about the employer’s and employee’s pension contributions during maternity leave

1st published 1 January 2002 (distribution to professional contacts)

Pensions after business acquisitions

A brief note introducing issues about participation in the sellers scheme and the risks if the scheme is in deficit

1st published 1 January 2002 (distribution to professional contacts)

Stakeholder Pensions

A summary of the basic principles of stakeholder pensions and a draft letter from an advisor to business clients

1st published 1 January 2002 (distribution to professional contacts)

Pension scheme disputes resolution procedures

Precedents based on the requirements of the Pensions Act 1995 and brief notes.

1st published 4 April 1997 (New Law Journal)

Appointment of professional advisors to a pension scheme

Precedent based on the requirements of the Pensions Act 1995 and brief notes.

1st published 4 April 1997 (New Law Journal)

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