Occupational pension schemes: requirements to recommend guidance etc

Part of Financial Guidance and Claims Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee at 10:30 am on 6 February 2018.

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“(1) The Pension Schemes Act 1993 is amended as set out in subsections (2) to (5).

(2) After section 113A insert—

“113B Occupational pension schemes: requirements to recommend guidance etc

(1) The Secretary of State must make regulations requiring the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme to take the steps mentioned in subsections (2) and (3) in relation to an application from a relevant beneficiary—

(a) to transfer any rights accrued under the scheme, or

(b) to start receiving benefits provided by the scheme.

(2) As part of the application process, the trustees or managers must ask the beneficiary whether they have received appropriate pensions guidance or appropriate independent financial advice.

(3) In a case where the beneficiary indicates that they have not received appropriate pensions guidance or appropriate independent financial advice, the trustees or managers must also—

(a) recommend that the beneficiary seeks such guidance or advice, and

(b) ask the beneficiary whether—

(i) they wish to wait until they have received such guidance or advice before deciding whether to proceed with the application, or

(ii) they wish to proceed with the application without having received it.

(4) The regulations may—

(a) specify what constitutes appropriate pensions guidance and appropriate independent financial advice;

(b) make further provision about how the trustees or managers must comply with the duties in subsections (2) and (3) (such as provision about methods of communication and time limits);

(c) specify what the duties of the trustees or managers are in the situation where a beneficiary does not respond to a question mentioned in subsection (2) or (3)(b);

(d) provide for exceptions to the duties in subsections (2) and (3) in specified cases;

(e) provide for the Secretary of State or another prescribed person to issue guidance for the purposes of this section, to which trustees or managers must have regard in complying with their duties under the regulations.

(5) In determining what provision to include in the regulations, the Secretary of State must have regard to any rules that are for the time being in force under section 137FB(1A) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

(6) In this section—

“relevant beneficiary”, in relation to a pension scheme, means—

(a) a member of the scheme, or

(b) another person of a prescribed description,

who has a right or entitlement to flexible benefits under the scheme;

“flexible benefits” has the meaning given by section 74 of the Pension Schemes Act 2015;

“pensions guidance” means information or guidance provided by any person in pursuance of the requirements mentioned in section5 of the Financial Guidance and Claims Act 2018 (information etc about flexible benefits under pension schemes).”

(3) In section 115 (powers as respects failure to comply with information requirements), in subsection (1), after “113” insert “, 113B”.

(4) In section 182(5) (power of Treasury to direct that regulation-making powers are exercisable only in conjunction with them), after “except” insert “regulations under section 113B or”.

(5) In section 185(2) (consultations about other regulations: exceptions), after paragraph (c) insert—

“(ca) regulations under section 113B; or”.

(6) The Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993 is amended as set out in subsections (7) to (9).

(7) After section 109A insert—

“109B Occupational pension schemes: requirements to recommend guidance etc

(1) The Department must make regulations requiring the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme to take the steps mentioned in subsections (2) and (3) in relation to an application from a relevant beneficiary—

(a) to transfer any rights accrued under the scheme, or

(b) to start receiving benefits provided by the scheme.

(2) As part of the application process, the trustees or managers must ask the beneficiary whether they have received appropriate pensions guidance or appropriate independent financial advice.

(3) In a case where the beneficiary indicates that they have not received appropriate pensions guidance or appropriate independent financial advice, the trustees or managers must also—

(a) recommend that the beneficiary seeks such guidance or advice, and

(b) ask the beneficiary whether—

(i) they wish to wait until they have received such guidance or advice before deciding whether to proceed with the application, or

(ii) they wish to proceed with the application without having received it.

(4) The regulations may—

(a) specify what constitutes appropriate pensions guidance and appropriate independent financial advice;

(b) make further provision about how the trustees or managers must comply with the duties in subsections (2) and (3) (such as provision about methods of communication and time limits);

(c) specify what the duties of the trustees or managers are in the situation where a beneficiary does not respond to a question mentioned in subsection (2) or (3)(b);

(d) provide for exceptions to the duties in subsections (2) and (3) in specified cases;

(e) provide for the Department or another prescribed person to issue guidance for the purposes of this section, to which trustees or managers must have regard in complying with their duties under the regulations.

(5) In determining what provision to include in the regulations, the Department must have regard to any rules that are for the time being in force under section 137FB(1A) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

(6) In this section—

“relevant beneficiary”, in relation to a pension scheme, means—

(a) a member of the scheme, or

(b) another person of a prescribed description,

who has a right or entitlement to flexible benefits under the scheme;

“flexible benefits” has the meaning given by section 74 of the Pension Schemes Act 2015;

“pensions guidance” means information or guidance provided by any person in pursuance of the requirements mentioned in section5 of the Financial Guidance and Claims Act 2018 (information etc about flexible benefits under pension schemes).”

(8) In section 111 (powers as respects failure to comply with information requirements), in subsection (1), after “109” insert “or 109B”.

(9) In section 177(6) (power of Department of Finance to direct that regulation-making powers are exercisable only in conjunction with them), after “except” insert “regulations under section 109B or”.” —

This new clause makes equivalent provision to that in NC1 for occupational pension schemes and requires the Secretary of State and the Department for Communities to make regulations corresponding to the FCA rules mentioned in NC1. It also makes consequential amendments to the Pension Schemes Act 1993 and the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993.