| 1 | Companies Act 2006: Overview A part-by-part overview of the Companies Act 2006. For a link to the 2006 Act, see Companies Act 2006: publication of final text. Note - this note a high level part-by-part description of the main substantive changes made by the 2006 Act, it does not discuss implementation/transitional provisions. For detailed resources on the 2006 Act, see Practice note, Companies Act 2006: materials. (For an overview of the Companies Bill as it stood on 28 July 2006 after completing its committee stage in the House of Commons, see Practice note, Companies Bill: Overview. For an overview of the Company Law Reform Bill as it stood on 26 May 2006 after receiving its third reading in the House of Lords, see Practice note, Company Law Reform Bill: Overview.) | Practice note: overview | 31-May-2007 |
| 2 | Contracting out of the state second pension: overview The key points about legislation allowing employers and employees in occupational and personal pension schemes to contract out of the state second pension (and its predecessor SERPS). Contracted-out schemes must comply with specific rules about the alternative benefits they provide outside the state pension system. As well as looking at the current regime, the note briefly considers ongoing problems with guaranteed minimum pensions (GMPs), including plans for equalising GMPs between the sexes, and highlights the abolition of DC contracting-out in April 2012. The government's plans to abolish DB contracting-out are also summarised. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 3 | CPI/RPI: a quick guide A quick guide to the government's decision to change the statutory minimum basis for calculating annual pension increases and revaluing deferred pensions so it reflects changes in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rather than the Retail Prices Index (RPI). | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 4 | Finance Act 2011: pensions provisions: a quick guide A quick guide to the pensions-related provisions enacted in the Finance Act 2011, with links to more detailed PLC resources. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 5 | Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS): overview This practice note provides an overview of the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), the arrangement set up by the UK government in 2004 to compensate members of defined benefit schemes that wound up when they were underfunded. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 6 | Pensions Act 2008: key points A quick guide to the Pensions Act 2008, which received Royal Assent on 26 November 2008. As well as introducing the legal framework for the auto-enrolment regime that started being implemented on 1 October 2012, the Act widened the Pensions Regulator's powers and made several further changes to pensions law. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 7 | Pensions Act 2011: overview A note giving an overview of the provisions of the Pensions Act 2011. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 8 | Pensions in the UK: overview An overview of the pensions system in the United Kingdom. The note summarises the different types of pension arrangements available in the UK and looks at the legal and regulatory framework, as well as the tax rules applying and the regime for contracting-out of the state second pension. Typical provisions seen in a pension scheme's governing deed are discussed, along with brief details of the pensions aspects of corporate transactions. Finally, the note comments on key legislative materials and reforms in the pipeline. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 9 | Perpetuities and trusts: overview A note explaining what the rule against perpetuities is and how it applies to trusts. It covers the common law rules, the Perpetuities and Accumulations Act 2009, the Perpetuities and Accumulations Act 1964 and the Law of Property Act 1925. It links to detailed notes on how to apply the rule in common trust situations. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 10 | Post-election 2010: implications for pensions law A note on the implications for pensions law of the policy statements being made by the new coalition partners, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, before and since the election and up to the Queen's Speech of 25 May 2010. For background, it also covers the Labour Party's manifesto proposals, as many were already within the legislative pipeline. | Practice note: overview | 25-May-2010 |
| 11 | Companies Act 1985: When was it repealed? A table that shows when each section of the Companies Act 1985 (1985 Act) was repealed by the Companies Act 2006 (2006 Act). To check when a section of the 2006 Act came into force, see Practice note, Companies Act 2006: When did it come into force?. For a table identifying those provisions of the 1985 Act that were repealed or re-enacted and their section number(s) in the 2006 Act, see Companies Act 2006: Table of destinations. For background information and materials on the 2006 Act, see Practice note, Companies Act 2006: materials. | Practice notes | 01-Oct-2009 |
| 12 | Companies Act 2006 - When did it come into force? A table that shows when each section of the Companies Act 2006 (2006 Act) came into force. To check when a section of the Companies Act 1985 (1985 Act) was repealed by the 2006 Act, see Practice note, Companies Act 1985: When was it repealed?. For a table showing the origin of the provisions of the 2006 Act, principally by reference to sections of the 1985 Act, see Companies Act 2006: Table of origins. For background information and materials on the 2006 Act, see Practice note, Companies Act 2006: materials. | Practice notes | 01-Oct-2009 |
| 13 | Declaration of directors' interests: Companies Act 2006 A note outlining the changes to the law on declaration of directors' interests under the Companies Act 2006 (2006 Act). For a link to the 2006 Act, see Companies Act 2006: publication of final text. For general background to the 2006 Act, see Practice note, Companies Act 2006: materials. Chapter 2 of Part 10 (general duties of directors) came into force on 1 October 2007, other than the provisions relating to directors' conflict of interest duties in sections 175 to 177 came into force on 1 October 2008, along with the provisions relating to declarations of interest in existing transactions or arrangements in Chapter 3 of Part 10 (sections 182 to 187). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 14 | Deregulatory review: state of play This practice note summarises the position in relation to measures considered in the deregulatory review of private pensions set up by the Department for Work and Pensions in 2006. Following the 2010 General Election, we are no longer maintaining this note. | Practice notes | 06-Apr-2010 |
| 15 | Directors' duties: comparison between Companies Acts 2006 ... A note outlining the changes to the law on directors' duties under the Companies Act 2006 (2006 Act). For a link to the 2006 Act, see Companies Act 2006: publication of final text. For general background to the 2006 Act, see Practice note, Companies Act 2006: materials. For a more detailed note on this topic, see Practice note, Directors' general duties under the Companies Act 2006. Chapter 2 of Part 10 (general duties of directors) came into force on 1 October 2007, other than the provisions relating to directors' conflict of interest duties (sections 175 to 177). Sections 177 to 175 came into force on 1 October 2008. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 16 | Directors' liabilities: Companies Act 2006 A note outlining the changes to the law on directors' liabilities under the Companies Act 2006 (2006 Act). For a link to the 2006 Act, see Companies Act 2006: publication of final text. For general background to the 2006 Act, see Practice note, Companies Act 2006: materials. Chapter 7 of Part 10 (directors' liabilities) came into force on 1 October 2007. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 17 | Disguised remuneration legislation: impact on pension ... This note considers the impact on UK pension arrangements of Part 7A of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, which was introduced by the Finance Act 2011 with effect from 6 April 2011. Announced in the June 2010 Budget, the legislation targets so-called "disguised remuneration" arrangements set up for the purposes of avoiding, deferring or reducing liabilities to income tax and National Insurance contributions or avoiding restrictions on pensions tax relief. The note looks at the effect on employer-financed retirement benefit schemes and considers the scope of the various statutory exclusions. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 18 | Equality Act 2010: employment implications This note provides background to the Equality Act 2010 and brief analysis of the Act's key employment-related provisions. It is no longer maintained. PLC Employment has now published a suite of more detailed, maintained practice notes on the Act, which can be accessed via A toolkit: discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. | Practice notes | 30-Sep-2010 |
| 19 | Finance Act 2009: pensions provisions This practice note considers the pensions-related provisions in the Finance Act 2009. The most significant measures related to the then government's plans to restrict pensions tax relief for high-income individuals. These have since been overhauled by the coalition government following the 2010 General Election. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 20 | Finance Bill 2013: pensions provisions This note examines the provisions in the Finance Bill 2013 that relate to occupational and personal pensions. Among other things, the Bill will reduce the annual and lifetime allowances for pension saving from the 2014/15 tax year and introduce transitional protection (known as fixed protection 2014) for individuals affected by the reduction in the lifetime allowance. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 21 | Key topics citator A "reverse" citator setting out the main legislative provisions, regulatory materials, leading cases and determinations of the Pensions Ombudsman for some key topics in occupational pensions. Links are also included to the main PLC Pensions materials available for each topic. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 22 | Pensions Act 2007: summary of key points A summary of the main changes introduced in the Pensions Act 2007. Among other things, the legislation increased state pension ages, provided for the basic state pension to increase by reference to earnings, eased the qualifying criteria, and reformed the contracting-out regime. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 23 | Pensions Act 2008: a guide A guide to the Pensions Act 2008. Among other changes, the Act introduced the framework for the auto-enrolment reforms being introduced from October 2012, widened the Pensions Regulator's anti-avoidance powers, introduced less generous revaluation of deferred pensions and allowed PPF compensation to be included in pension-sharing orders. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 24 | Pensions Bill 2007/08: timeline A note of the progress through Parliament of the Pensions Bill 2007/08. | Practice notes | 05-Dec-2008 |
| 25 | Pensions Bill 2013: a guide A guide to the main provisions of the Pensions Bill 2013, covering ongoing changes. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 26 | Pensions tax: relaxing the requirements to take benefits by ... This note summarises the legislation introduced by the Finance Act 2011 (FA 2011) that has abolished annuitisation requirements and other rules that previously obliged members of registered pension schemes to take their benefits by age 75. As well as looking briefly at the new flexible and capped drawdown regimes, the note considers the new provisions concerning the tax treatment of lump sums and death benefits payable by registered pension schemes. The changes have taken effect from 6 April 2011. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 27 | Perpetuities and Accumulations Act 2009: how the law has ... A note that describes in detail how the Perpetuities and Accumulations Act 2009 changed the law when it came into force on 6 April 2010. It explains how the changes affect new and existing wills and trusts in practice, including wills republished by codicil and trusts of pension death benefits. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 28 | Perpetuities and trustee powers A note explaing how the rule against perpetuities applies when drafting, varying and exercising trustee powers, how to determine whether existing powers and appointments are valid and what the consequences are if they are void. It describes the difference between general and special powers of appointment, and between administrative and dispositive powers. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 29 | Reducing the annual and lifetime allowances for pension ... This note examines the coalition government's measures to restrict the availability of tax relief on pension saving by reducing the annual and lifetime allowances. As well as looking at the circumstances in which an annual allowance charge is triggered, the note highlights some key practical issues for trustees and employers, including the obligation to provide pension savings statements to members. The note also refers to the announcement of further reductions to the annual and lifetime allowances made at the 2012 Autumn Statement to take effect from the 2014/15 tax year. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 30 | Restricting pensions tax relief: anti-forestalling measures This practice note considers the anti-forestalling measures implemented by the previous government in the Finance Act 2009 in advance of its abortive plans to restrict tax relief on pension saving for high-income individuals. The anti-forestalling measures only applied to pensions tax relief claimed in the 2009/10 and 2010/11 tax years. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 31 | Transfer values This note examines the current legislation relating to cash equivalent transfer values offered by defined benefit pension schemes, including the changes that came into effect on 1 October 2008. | Practice notes | Maintained |