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  • Tilley: Transfer reform welcome but SSAS governance is key

    At first glance, DWP’s June 2026 consultation on proposed changes to the 2021 transfer regulations does something the industry has long asked for; it acknowledges that the current regime, while well intended, has created too much friction for some perfectly legitimate pension transfers.

  • Lisa Webster: Good news from DWP for SIPPs but not SSAS

    The DWP has just released its long-awaited consultation on the SIPP transfer regulations – and it’s largely encouraging news. As an employee of a reputable SIPP provider the changes are positive. SSAS providers may be less enthusiastic about some of the proposals.

  • Lisa Webster: Should tax-free cash always be taken?

    Since the Lifetime Allowance was abolished and replaced with the Lump Sum Allowance (LSA) and lump sum and death benefit allowance (LSDBA), we have seen an increase in SIPP members who want to take drawdown only – foregoing the right to take the associated pension commencement lump sum (PCLS).

  • Tilley: Are we asking too much of pension savers?

    Working in UK pensions, I’ve always accepted that the system evolves. Fiscal pressures change, demographics shift, and governments recalibrate policy objectives. But even allowing for that, the pace and volume of legislative change in the pensions space over the last few years feels unprecedented, and in my view increasingly problematic.

  • Lisa Webster: Beware IHT and pensions double taxation

    One of the most disliked aspects of bringing pensions into the estate for inheritance tax (IHT) purposes from 6 April 2027 is the double taxation that will occur when the member dies on or after their 75th birthday.

Popular News

  • The Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP), the body launching pensions dashboards in the UK, has pushed back a key implementation deadline by five months from November to March 2027 after feedback from users.

  • The next Prime Minister has been urged to address the long-term sustainability of the state pension triple lock.

  • Nucleus-owned platform Third Financial has launched a white-labelled SIPP powered by Dunstan Thomas’s operational software and administration.

  • At first glance, DWP’s June 2026 consultation on proposed changes to the 2021 transfer regulations does something the industry has long asked for; it acknowledges that the current regime, while well intended, has created too much friction for some perfectly legitimate pension transfers.

Headline News
Latest News

A new report into the BSPS debacle has heavily criticised regulators including the FCA and TPR.

A number of financial firms, as well as the FCA, have been rated as some of the top workplaces in the UK for being lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) friendly places to work.

Independent SIPP provider Curtis Banks has launched its new ‘Your Future SIPP’.

Greyfriars’ SIPP book sold for £820k, newly-published documents have revealed.

Since 2015, the Insolvency Service has applied to the courts to wind-up 24 companies that have carried out a form of pension misuse.

XPS Pensions Group, the influential pension consulting and administration firm, has voiced its support for the government’s proposal to introduce Collective Defined Contribution pension schemes.

In November, the DWP detailed its plans for the new type of occupational pension scheme which will be subject to a 0.75% charge cap with the aim of keeping costs down. Royal Mail is already looking at introducing a CDC.
The government gave the green light last year for CDCs and plans to legislate for them in due course although critics have already warned it could take years for CDCs to arrive and they may risk fluctuating income for members in retirement because of their structure.
 
XPS says in its submission to the government on the proposal to introduce CDCs that they could provide “better outcomes” for employees than traditional DC schemes.



However, it said they may take choice away from members and present additional risks so it is “critical they are well designed and managed.”

XPS Pensions Group says there are three key areas the DWP and Pensions Regulator will need to consider to ensure the development of a successful CDC framework. These include:
 
1.      Sustainability and resilience of CDC schemes for the future
2.      How to ensure fairness of outcomes between generations
3.      Member understanding and expectation

Consultation on CDCs ended last week.
 
Jacqui Woodward, senior consultant at XPS Pensions Group said: “In our view it will be possible to develop an appropriate disclosure framework that adequately communicates CDC benefits to members. 

“However, we would caution against underestimating the risks of CDC schemes in the rush to get them established.  It is worth taking time to make sure that the new types of scheme can offer a genuine and safe alternative to members and we look forward to providing our input to further consultations on the detailed design of CDC arrangements.”

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