Statutory Instrument No.229 of 2016, signed by the Minister for Social Protection on 5 May, represents another step towards the amalgamation of the offices of the Financial Services Ombudsman and the Pensions Ombudsman. The Government made the decision to merge the two agencies in May 2013, after a recommendation from the OECD.
Continue Reading Pensions Act amended to allow Financial Services Ombudsman to hold the office of Pensions Ombudsman
The Omega Pharma case has confirmed that the scheme’s governing documentation and not the Pensions Act minimum funding standard determine the employer’s liability to contribute to defined benefit schemes on wind-up.
On 25 July 2014, Mr Justice Moriarty in the Commercial Court handed down judgment in the case of Holloway & Ors v Damianus BV & Ors [2014] IEHC 383 and found in favour of the trustees of the Omega Pharma defined benefit scheme in their claim for deficit contributions against the scheme’s employers. The trustees succeeded in obtaining judgment in the amount of €2,439,193.56 (inclusive of interest) against the employers. On appeal, the newly established Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment in favour of the trustees (Holloway & ors -v- Damianus BV & ors [2015] IECA 19).
If the Element Six case (Greene & Ors v Coady & Ors [2014] IEHC 38) was the most important pensions law case for trustees in the recent past, the Omega Pharma case was not far behind. The Omega Pharma case is also particularly relevant to employers who operate or participate in defined benefit schemes. However, a number of key issues remain unanswered.Continue Reading The Omega Pharma case – Trustee and Employer Guidance
Where a scheme is operated on an integrated basis, it reduces the pension entitlements of members to account for their State pension. A bridging pension is a supplemental pension which is sometimes paid to members who retire before the age at which the State pension is payable. Schemes may also reduce the contributions payable by
The Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 was published on 22 May 2013.
What does the Bill contain?
1. The Bill provides for the previously announced restructuring of the Pensions Board into a Pensions Authority with the position of CEO of the Pensions Board being recast as that of Pensions Regulator. There will
1 February 2012 is the cut off time by which trustees, who were trustees prior to and after 1 February 2010, must have completed their trustee training. Trustees appointed since 1 February 2010 had to receive training within six months of their appointment.
Every trustee of an occupational pension scheme (except a death benefit only
The continuing economic crisis sees those with responsibility for pension schemes faced with a number of complex issues. There are a number of core issues which we are seeing consistently arise. These include the following:
Continue Reading Managing Occupational Pension Schemes in Crisis: 5 things to Consider