Our ‘Ready Reckoner’ surveys developments in Parliament and the Courts, as well as Consultations from numerous bodies including DWP, HMRC and TPR. In this issue Planning for major change: IHT on unused pension funds and death benefits; a combined overview
More about Pensions Compass – September 2026From 6 April 2027, many unused pension funds and pension death benefits under registered pension schemes will be brought into a deceased person’s estate for inheritance tax (“IHT”) purposes. This marks a significant shift – for years, pensions have been
More about Planning for major change: relevant unused pension funds and pension death benefits will become subject to inheritance tax from 6 April 2027Please see our article below “Legislation blockbusters – an overview”. The Acts are only the beginning – many hundreds of pages of Consultations and Regulations will follow. Scheme trustees and employers must also keep up to date with other current
More about Pensions Compass – June 2026Background Mr McKavney was a protected person under the Electricity (Protected Persons) (England and Wales) Pension Regulations 1990 (the EPP Regulations) and was originally employed by Magnox Electric Ltd. In 2005, his employment transferred from Magnox to Serco under TUPE.
More about TUPE Transfers are not retirement: High Court clarifies early pension triggersTimescale for making Regulations: An Act of Parliament such as the PSA 2026 is scrutinised as it passes through its Parliamentary Stages in the House of Commons and House of Lords. In contrast, Regulations are made by, in effect, the
More about Pension Schemes Act 2026 – what’s in force and what’s coming up?Big picture Prior to 6 April 2027, the unused pension pots and death benefits of registered pension scheme members usually escape IHT where the scheme trustees have discretion over choice of the pension beneficiaries. The bad news is that, even
More about Inheritance Tax on Pension death benefits – understanding the new IHT regimeLike a Spring garden, pension developments are growing apace: the Pension Schemes Bill is moving rapidly through Parliament and Royal Assent may be in March /April. Many of the provisions (but not all, see our Virgin Media article below) will
More about Pensions Compass – February 2026Key Points The Pension Schemes Bill (2025) is the legislative vehicle for the Virgin Media remediation provisions, which will take effect immediately on Royal Assent. The Bill introduces a statutory process enabling trustees to retrospectively validate historic amendments that may
More about Part 1 – Virgin Media: an updateIn Pelgrave v The Pensions Regulator[1], the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber) considered whether Elizabeth Ann Pelgrave should be subject to a contribution notice (CN) under section 38 of the Pensions Act 2004. The case arose from a determination by
More about Part 1 – TPR Contribution Notice against Director upheldProject Nemo: navigating global pension complexities in a share sale Project Nemo involved WB and i-Global Law acting for a US-headquartered cloud computing specialist in the Sale of its global communications division to a leading provider of share registration services.
More about Part 2 – Key Wedlake Bell international pensions and employee benefit projects