Defined & Safeguarded Benefit Schemes Flashcards
Explain the procedures involved in the CETV calculation for a member of a FS occupational scheme
- Calculate preserved pension at date of leaving the scheme/ leaving service
- Revalue preserved pension up to normal pension age, using the appropriate rates for revaluing different slices or parts of the GMP and non-GMP pensions
- Capitalise the revalued pension into a lump sum by using assumed/ stated annuity rates - actuary will take into account specific benefits of the scheme:
- level of indexation in payment
- level of any death benefits;
- including any spouse pension (irrespective of whether member was married or not)
- Discount the capital value back to today’s equivalent lump sum using appropriate discount rates - discount rates and annuity rates set by trustees on the advice of the actuary
Factors resulting in an increased transfer value
- Shorter term to NRD (as member gets older)
- Low equity yields = falling discount rate
- Annuity rates (at capitalisation) decrease - therefore larger lump sum
- Increase in inflation assumptions
- Discretionary increase
- Actuarial calculation method may have changed
- Existing scheme benefits could have increased
- Trustees decide to offer enhanced transfer value
How would an increase in the inflation assumption affect the funding position of the scheme?
- Higher revaluation and escalation
- Increase in liabilities increases strain on funding position
- Index-linked gilt holdings within scheme assets increases scheme asset value;
- offsets some of the increased liability
How would salary increases (in excess of assumptions) affect funding position?
- Liabilities increase and funding position worsens as benefits linked to salary
- Assets may increase if employer takes % from salary to fund contributions
How might members taking PCLS affect funding position?
- Long term liabilities reduce and improves funding position, especialliy if scheme offers a low commutation rate such i.e. lessPCLS per £ given up in pension income
Briefly explain actions trustees must take if a funding deficit has been identified.
- Must take advice from actuary and consult with employer
- Must agree recovery plan
- Must agree a payment or contribution schedule,
- or a strategy for making up shortfall
- Must inform The Pension Regulator
- They must monitor the position
How are scheme assets measured using IAS 19 valuation?
- Scheme assets measured at market value
- Scheme liabilities measured using an AA coporate bond discount rate
- Past service costs are a scheme liability
- Actuarial gains and losses to be immediately priced into technical provisions
How might trustees and employers reduce a scheme deficit?
- Increase level of member and/or employer contirbutions
- Accrual of future benefits can be reduced or stopped completely
- Scheme can switch from FS to CARE approcah;
- Accrual rate can be reduced
- Reval and escalation rates can be reducaed (not below stat minimums)
- Scheme NRA can be increased
- Scheme can be closed to new members
- Scheme can be closed to all future accrual
- Investment strategy can be revised to a more adventurous strategy if employer risk appetitie and liability profile permit
What points to assess for assessing strength of employer covenant?
- Through which employers can the scheme access value?
- What is the trustees assessment of the employer’s current and likely profitability and cash flows?
- How do these compare with the likely funding needs of the scheme (both now and in a downside scenario?)
- Over what period of time can the mployer afford to repay the funding deficit?
- Is the scheme being treated equitably with other stakeholders?
- Could the employer afford to increase deficit repair contributions in the event of adverse scheme experience, over what period of time?
- Do the employer plans for sustainable growth restrict support for the scheme?
- How much value could the scheme recover in the event of insolvency?
- What are the risks to the covenant and how may it change over time?
- Potential implications of all of this on scheme investment and funding strategies?
What is a section 143 valuation?
- Theoretical cost (buy-out)
- Of buying the schemes benefits with an insurance company (deferred annuities)
- Based on the PPF compensation level
This is done at the point of insolvency and the scheme is coming to an end. This is different from a s179 valuation which is the ongoing valuation at the PPF level.
What must trustees consider if an employer proposes a closure of a scheme?
- Ensure they act in accordance with their duties as trustees
- Exercise of schemes amendment power
- Identify and manage conflicts of interest
- Implications of closure on funding of scheme and investment strategy
- Communication with scheme members
Scheme actuary is responsible for:
- Preparing the periodical actuarial valuation (yearly and triennial)
- Providing advice on:
- Funding principles
- Calculations of technical provisions (TPs)
- Schedule of contributions
- Recovers plans or changes to future benefits
- Certifying the TP calcs is made in accordance with scheme funding regs and contributions are consistent with scheme statement of funding objectives. If not, must inform TPR.
Scheme administrator is responsible for:
- Registering scheme with HMRC
- Operating tax-relief on conributions under the RAS system
- Reporting events relating to the sceheme and scheme administrator to HMRC
- Making returns of info to HMRC
- Providing info to members i.e. LTA limits, AA limits, scheme pays etc
DB schemes covered by PPF if:
- Scheme must be eligible for PPF
- must not have started to wind up pre 5 April 2005
- Insolvency event must have occured
- must not be able to be rescued
- funding level of the scheme is below the level of PPF compensation
PPF compensation levels reached NRD/ pre NRD:
- Already retired at/on/over NRD of scheme
- 100% of pension in payment immediately before assessment date
- Applies to those in receipt of survivors pension or pension grounds of ill health
- Not reached NRD
- PPF will pay compensation of 90% of the pension payable immediately before the assessment date, subject to revaluation
From 1 April 2019 maximum pension of £40,020 (90% = £36,018) for someone aged 65.
If retired before NRD, what levels of compensation are attainable from PPF?
- Max = 90% of pension protection = £36,018 (100% = £40,020 age 65) actuarial reduction if retired before NRD and it is less than 65
- Escalation CPI max 2.5% pa on post 5 April 1997 only
- Spouse’s pension: 50% of member entitlement
- Revaluation: CPI max 5% on pensionable service pre 2009 and max 2.5% p.a. for accrual after 06/04/2009
- Tax-free lump sum of 25% of compensation
- Long service addition from 6 April 2017 - increase of the cap by 3% for each year above 20 years of scheme membership (max double standard cap).
The Pension Regulator’s 5 principles for incentive exercises:
- Principle 1: Clear, fair and not misleading
- An offer should be made in a clear, fair and not misleading way, to enable members to understand the implications and make decisions that are right for them.
- Principle 2: Open and transparent
- The offer should be open and transparent, so that all parties involved in the process are made aware of the reasons for the exercise and the interests of the other parties.
- Principle 3: Manage conflicts of interest
- Conflicts of interest should be identified and appropriately managed in a transparent manner and, where necessary, removed.
- Principle 4: Trustee consultation
- Trustees should be consulted and engaged from the start of the process, with any concerns arising through the exercise alleviated before progressing.
- Principle 5: Independent financial advice
- Fully independent and impartial financial advice should be made accessible to all members and promoted in the strongest possible terms. In almost all circumstances, the structure of the offer should require that members take financial advice. In some circumstances (such as some Pensions Increase Exercises) financial advice may not be required; however, the structure of the offer should provide detailed guidance instead.
What is a section 179 valuation?
A scheme’s s179 liabilities represent (broadly), the premium/ cost/ funding that would have to be paid to an insurance company to take on the PPF levels of compensation for members of the pension scheme.
This is an ongoing vauation - different to a s143 valuation which is done at the point of insolvency.
Section 179 is a basis of measuring scheme liabilities - what are three more and what do they entail?
- Full buy-out; what would have to be paid to an insurance company for it to take on the full payment of scheme benefits
- ISA19 or FRS17; the measures used in UK company accounts for balance sheet cost of the pension scheme
- Statutory funding objective (SFO); sometimes referred to as the technical provisions. Used in the regulator’s scheme funding regime for current scheme liabilities and cost of technical provisions is often used to discount any transfer values.
GMP revaluation for contracted out schemes prior to 6 April 1997, what options were/are available for trustees to revalue GMP?
- Full acceptance of the liability to increase in-line with earnings, many public sector schemes accept this liability in full and revalue GMP for early leavers in accordance with NAE - known as s148
- Private sector schemes however will limit their liability and give themselves some certainty on added liability from revaluation by revaluing at a fixed rate to NRA. Fixed rate has decreased over the years and currently stands at 3.5% for leavers after 5 April 2017.
- It was possible for leavers prior to 6 April 1997, to limit revaluation to 5% a year in exchange for paying the Department for Work and Pensions a “limited revaluation premium”. The DWP then made up the difference to the full level of s148 order increases. This is no longer an option for trustees and was stopped in 1997.
Revaluation rules for contracted out benefits changed from 6 April 1997. From that date early leavers pensions had to be split into two:
- Firstly, GMP which stopped being accrued after 5 April 1997 is separately identified and subject to the rules of revaluation described in above table
- Secondly, all benefits accrued after 5 April 1997 (RST benefits) have to be revalued in accordance with the CPI (RPI before April 2011) to a maximum of 5% (2.50% from April 2009) per annum averaged over the period from leaving to taking retirement benefits.
What is anti-franking?
Franking is the situation whereby, a scheme offsets revaluation increases to be paid on the GMP element of a pension against the amount of scheme pension in excess of the GMP accruing from 6 April 1997.
Anti-franking legislation addresses this issue by setting out additional requirements for the calculation of pension entitlement where GMP revaluation increases are applicable.
From the 6 April 2015, a trivial commutation lump sum can be paid from a defined benefit arrangement only, This can be paid if:
- The value from all defined benefit registered pension scheme sources including pensions in payment doesn’t exceed £30,000
- The person has reached NMPA (or the commutation is under ill-health rules - so earlier)
- Has some unused lifetime allowance left
- The payment eliminates their rights under that scheme
- The payment is made within 12 months of the first trivial commutation lump sum
Triviality rules can be used for both crystallised and uncrystallised rights, including GMP and section 9(2B) rights.
How are triviality and small pots payments taxed?
- 25% of the lump sum is paid tax free
- the balance of the fund (75%) is taxed as pension PAYE income with 20% deducted at source
Triviality and small pots are not taxed under the emergency tax month 1 rules, unlike FAD and UFPLS.