Regulatory guidance
Our regulatory guidance is intended to help trustees, employers and others understand what the law requires with regard to regulating pension provision.
You can reproduce the text in any of these publications, as long as you quote the name and title of the publication. And you can reproduce the text on this website, as long as you identify our website as the source of the material.
Protecting schemes from sponsoring employer distress
Issued: November 2020
Relevant for: Professionals - Trustees
Guidance for DB scheme trustees, offering practical recommendations for spotting signs of corporate distress, and how they can protect their pension scheme.
Abandonment of DB pension schemes
Issued: December 2008
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
This guidance outlines how trustees should deal with a proposal which involves the abandonment of a defined benefit pension scheme....
Assessing and monitoring the employer covenant
Issued: August 2015
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
Provides practical guidance on how to assess the employer covenant of a DB pension scheme as part of an integrated approach to managing scheme risks, monitor the covenant and take action to improve scheme security....
Asset-backed contributions
Issued: November 2013
Relevant for: Professionals - Trustees
This guidance is based on the regulator’s recent experience in relation to asset-backed contributions and sets out our expectations of trustees when considering such arrangements....
Clearance
Issued: March 2010
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
This guidance provides support to trustees and employers when dealing with events that may impact upon their pension scheme, and when there is an application for a clearance statement....
Conflicts of interest
Issued: October 2008
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
This guidance aims to provide educational support for trustees and employers for addressing conflicts of interest. You can read a summary version or the full guidance...
Corporate transactions
Issued: June 2009
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals
The role of the employer and what they need to think about in relation to their scheme if considering a corporate transaction....
Cross border schemes guidance following end of Brexit transition period
Updated: February 2021
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
Guidance for UK based cross-border schemes and UK employers who are currently contributing to a cross-border scheme based in the EU/EEA...
Cyber security principles for pension schemes
Issued: April 2018
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
Pension schemes hold large amounts of personal data and assets which can make them a target for fraudsters and criminals. Trustees and scheme managers need to take steps to protect their members and assets against the cyber risk....
DB investment
Updated: September 2019
Relevant for: Professionals - Trustees
Investment guidance for trustees and advisers running schemes that offer defined benefits....
DB superfunds
Issued: June 2020
Relevant for: Professionals - Trustees
This guidance is for those setting up and running a ‘DB superfund’, including directors, senior managers and trustees.
DB to DC transfers and conversions
Updated: May 2020
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
Assists DB pension scheme trustees and managers of private and funded public service schemes to manage transfer requests and their impact....
Incentive exercises
Issued: July 2012
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
The regulator has reviewed its guidance and replaced it with a short principles-based statement for employers considering an incentive exercise, the trustees of the affected defined benefit schemes and those who advise them....
Integrated risk management
Issued: December 2015
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
This guidance provides practical help on what a proportionate and integrated approach to risk management might look like and how trustees could go about putting one in place. It should be read in conjunction with the DB funding code....
Lump-sum death benefits
Issued: June 2006
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
Trustees may need to know whether lump sum death benefits can be provided from their scheme or whether a separate scheme, which only provides these benefits, should be set up....
Moratoriums for employers in financial difficulty
Issued: June 2020
Relevant for: Professionals
Guidance for insolvency practitioners on the need to notify us if an employer with a defined benefit pension scheme uses a moratorium to explore rescue and restructuring options.
Mortality assumptions
Issued: September 2008
Relevant for: Professionals - Trustees
This guidance outlines how trustees should go about deciding on mortality assumptions in an actuarial valuation for a defined benefit pension scheme...
Multi-employer schemes and employer departures
Updated: October 2019
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
Aimed at trustees of multi-employer DB schemes and their sponsoring employers to help them understand the ways an employer can manage their liabilities...
Relations with advisers
Issued: May 2008
Relevant for: Professionals - Trustees
This best practice guidance sets out some key issues for trustees to consider in their relations with advisers...
Scheme funding and clearance case studies
Issued: June 2009
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
These scheme funding case studies (original versions published in 'scheme funding: an analysis of recovery plans' in December 2008) demonstrate how the regulator, employers and trustees have worked together to resolve funding issues....
Scheme funding FAQs
Issued: March 2010
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
This section contains some FAQs in relation to scheme funding along with our responses. ...
Tender and set objectives for investment service providers
Issued: November 2019
Relevant for: Professionals - Trustees
You have certain duties when working with providers of investment consultancy and fiduciary management services...
Transfer values
Issued: September 2008
Relevant for: Professionals - Trustees
This guidance helps trustees of private sector occupational pension schemes providing defined benefits to understand the requirements for calculating transfer values. References are set out at the end of the guidance and are linked within the text...
Trustee guidance
Issued: December 2007
Relevant for: Employers - Professionals - Trustees
Our guidance for trustees outlines some of the wide-ranging responsibilities placed on pension scheme trustees and some of the powers they usually have...
Trustee knowledge and understanding
Issued: April 2005
Relevant for: Professionals - Trustees
The law requires that trustees have knowledge and understanding of (among other things) the law relating to pensions and trusts, as well as the principles relating to the funding of pension schemes and the investment of scheme assets...
Winding up a defined contribution scheme
Issued: February 2019
Relevant for: Professionals - Trustees
This guidance sets out the steps that trustees of defined contribution (DC) pension schemes should follow when they are closing and winding up their scheme.
Winding up
Issued: October 2012
Relevant for: Professionals - Trustees
This guidance provides suggestions of good practice to help trustees and others meet the two-year time frame in relation to winding up occupational pension schemes. ...
Automatic enrolment detailed guidance
Provides detailed help with implementing the new employer duties.