Defined Benefit

Schools joining the government's academy programme are being forced to pay their share of local government pension scheme deficits over drastically shortened time periods.

Helen Morrissey analyses the points of view on one of the hottest topics in pensions.

The Pensions Regulator has defended its decision not to smooth the discount rate by publishing a detailed analysis of the current funding regime.

The Pensions Regulator has reiterated its stance that most firms currently agreeing funding valuations will not need to significantly increase deficit recovery contributions.

Research from Hymans Robertson shows that IAS19 deficits rose from £67bn to £115bn for FTSE350 companies in the year up to July 2012.

The average time taken to get through the Pension Protection Fund assessment should fall below 12 months after the introduction of a new data audit tool, says the lifeboat fund.

O2 is set to close its final salary defined benefit scheme to future accrual due to poor economic conditions and the impending cost of auto-enrolment.

Almost 4,000 members of the Financial Assistance Scheme have had their benefits reduced after overpayments resulting from administrative errors.

Pensions minister Steve Webb has defended supermarket Morrisons from criticisms of its pension scheme.

OCR has secured a buyout with Metlife Assurance for its £11m RSA Examinations Board Retirement Benefits Scheme.