Pensions Ombudsman revamps approach to ‘distress and inconvenience’ awards – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 18th, 2018 in compensation, complaints, consumer protection, maladministration, news, pensions by sally

‘The UK’s Pensions Ombudsman has introduced a fixed-amount award to compensate individuals who have suffered “distress and inconvenience” as a result of the maladministration of a pensions scheme.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 17th September 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Pensions: don’t cash out of defined benefits, warns regulator – The Guardian

Posted August 29th, 2018 in financial regulation, news, pensions by sally

‘Pension schemes are being warned they may be being too generous when offering cash lump sums to people considering transferring out of their gold-plated deals.’

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The Guardian, 29th August 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Company collapses lead to insolvency law clampdown – BBC News

Posted August 28th, 2018 in company directors, company law, dividends, insolvency, news, pensions by sally

‘Company bosses who dissolve their firms to avoid paying off staff or meeting pension commitments will risk being hit with fines, under new government plans.’

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BBC News, 26th August 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Pensions Ombudsman to overhaul dispute resolution – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 28th, 2018 in complaints, consumer protection, dispute resolution, news, pensions by sally

‘The Pensions Ombudsman is planning to overhaul the way it handles pensions disputes over the coming year, it has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 24th August 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

UK’s pensions regulator cracks down on scams with use of new powers – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 22nd, 2018 in enforcement, fraud, news, pensions, proceeds of crime, valuation by sally

‘The UK’s Pensions Regulator (TPR) has begun to use a number of enforcement powers for the first time in efforts to deal with issues such as pension scams, scheme valuations and automatic enrolment.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 21st August 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Court of Appeal hands down judgment in British Airways pension scheme litigation – Radcliffe Chambers

Posted August 6th, 2018 in airlines, news, pensions, trusts by sally

‘The appeal concerned whether the Scheme had been effectively amended to include a trustee power to award discretionary pension increases and whether the subsequent exercise of that power was valid.’

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Radcliffe Chambers, 5th July 2018

Source: www.radcliffechambers.com

Court of Justice finds UK transgender state pension law discriminatory – Family Law

Posted July 10th, 2018 in EC law, marriage, news, pensions, transgender persons by sally

‘Pensions analysis: A ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union in MB v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Case C-451/16 [2018] All ER (D) 135 (Jun) that EU law precludes UK legislation which requires a woman who had previously been a married man to be no longer married to a woman in order to be able to claim a state retirement pension as from the statutory pensionable age applicable to women is examined by Dr Christopher Stothers, a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. This case has significant implications on how countries recognise changes to gender.’

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Family Law, 10th July 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

How much of a groundbreaking decision is the CJEU’s judgment for transgender rights? – Thibault Lechevallier – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Weeks after ruling against certain sexual orientation tests for asylum seekers and finding that EU Member States must recognise the free movement rights of gay spouses, regardless of whether same-sex marriages are solemnised therein, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) held that the UK requirement for transgendered persons to be unmarried in order to qualify for a State pension at the retirement age of their current gender violated EU law.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 3rd July 2018

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Transgender woman wins pension court battle – BBC News

Posted June 26th, 2018 in EC law, marriage, news, pensions, transgender persons by sally

‘A transgender woman who was unable to access her pension, was discriminated against by UK law, the European Court of Justice has found.’

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BBC News, 26th June 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

League Against Cruel Sports in legal battle with vegan ‘whistleblower’ – The Guardian

‘A leading animal welfare charity is locked in an acrimonious legal dispute with a former employee who claims he was dismissed for telling colleagues that its pension fund invested in companies that have been involved in animal testing.’

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The Guardian, 16th June 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Appeal court restores public sector pensions investment guidance – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 15th, 2018 in local government, news, pensions, sanctions by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has found in favour of the government in a legal challenge to its guidance preventing the local government pension scheme (LGPS) from pursuing boycotts as part of its investment strategy’

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th June 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Boycotts – Local Government Law

Posted June 14th, 2018 in appeals, local government, news, pensions by tracey

‘In R (Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ltd) v SoS for CLG (2018) EWCA Civ 1284 the Court of Appeal allowed the SoS’s appeal against a declaration at (2017) EWHC 1502 (Admin) that part of his statutory Guidance relating to the Investment Strategy of local authorities administering local government pension schemes was unlawful.’

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Local Government Law, 7th June 2018

Source: local-government-law.11kbw.com

The Avoidance of Doubt(fire): police pensions and subsequent Selected Medical Practitioner determinations – UK Police Law Blog

Posted June 14th, 2018 in industrial injuries, news, pensions, police by tracey

‘The determinations of Selected Medical Practitioners (SMPs) made under the various Police Pensions Regulations and the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 are, in many cases, supposed to be final unless or until they are appealed. Subsequent SMPs, Police Medical Appeal Boards and, on occasion, the lawyers acting for both officers and police pension authorities, seem prone to forget this principle. When they do, the High Court always welcomes them with open arms and a consistent eagerness to remind them that careful adherence to the statutory procedures for injury on duty awards is in everyone’s long-term interest. The case of R (Evans) v Chief Constable of Cheshire Constabulary and Police Medical Appeals Board [2018] EWHC 952 (Admin) is the latest case to confirm this principle.’

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UK Police Law Blog, 13th June 2018

Source: ukpolicelawblog.com

Government wins appeal over LGPS and guidance on boycotts and divestment – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal by the government over a ruling that the Communities Secretary acted unlawfully when he issued statutory guidance on the investment strategy for the local government pension scheme (LGPS) that sought to prevent boycotts, divestment and sanctions against foreign nations and UK defence industries.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th June 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Upper Tribunal backs regulator in ITV pension support case – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 30th, 2018 in media, news, pensions, tribunals by sally

‘The Upper Tribunal has upheld the Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) use of its powers to seek financial support from ITV for members of a defined benefit (DB) pension scheme attached to the now defunct Box Clever TV rental business.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 25th May 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Students take court action over hours lost during strike – The Guardian

Posted April 24th, 2018 in compensation, industrial action, news, pensions, teachers, universities by sally

‘More than 1,000 students have signed up to a lawsuit seeking compensation for lost teaching hours during recent strike action by university staff, which could cost universities millions of pounds.’

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The Guardian, 24th April 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Men jailed for taking £1million as part of pension fund fraud – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted April 23rd, 2018 in fraud, pensions, press releases, sentencing by tracey

‘Two men who tricked investors into transferring their pensions to a fake scheme before spending almost £1million of the funds have been jailed.’

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 23rd April 2018

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Ex-BHS owner Dominic Chappell to sue Sir Philip Green – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 9th, 2018 in company directors, insolvency, news, pensions by tracey

‘Former BHS owner Dominic ­Chappell plans to sue Sir Philip Green and contest a proposed boardroom ban in a bid to repair his “tarnished ­reputation” and resurrect his career.’

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Daily Telegraph, 9th April 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Former BHS owner Chappell faces boardroom ban but Sir Philip Green escapes sanction over collapse – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 28th, 2018 in company directors, financial regulation, insolvency, news, pensions, sanctions by tracey

‘Former BHS owner Dominic Chappell will be banned from serving as company director for up to 15 years over his role in the the high street chain’s collapse, while its previous owner Sir Philip Green will escape any sanction. The Insolvency Service said that the retail mogul Sir Philip, who sold BHS to thrice bankrupt Mr Chappell little over a year before its demise for £1, will not face further action.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th March 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

FCA crackdown on dodgy pensions advice after thousands of people hit by scandal – The Independent

Posted March 27th, 2018 in financial advice, financial regulation, news, pensions by tracey

‘The City watchdog has announced measures to deal with an “erupting pensions mis-selling scandal”, but MPs say the plans do not go far enough to protect people’s savings.’

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The Independent, 26th March 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk