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| 17 December | Opra issues Update 10: guidance for employers and trustees on 'moral hazard' sections (ss. 38 - 56) of Pensions Act and on 'Bradstock'-style compromise agreements more |
| | First Pensions Act 2004 Commencement Order (SI 2004/3350) in force more |
| 13 December | Employer Task Force (Chairman: Sir Peter Davis) publishes report: discovers employee participation markedly higher where employer contributes and recommends 10 - 15% target with two-thirds from employer, or face 'compulsion' |
| 10 December | DWP publishes second draft Code of Practice for consultation (Notifiable events framework) |
| 7 December | DWP consults on draft Transfer of Undertakings (Pension Protection Regs; also on first Code of Practice under Pensions Act (Reporting breaches of the law to The Pensions Regulator) more |
| 6 December | DWP opens consultation on Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Indexation and Disclosure of Information) Regs to remove pre-6.4.97 indexation requirement from Protected Rights more |
| 2 December | Pre-Budget Report confirms earnings cap for 2005/06 is £105,600 more |
| 30 November | DWP consults on draft amendment regs on overseas transfers; IR SPSS issues Pensions Update No 149 on procedures for payment of lump sum from a PP on death during drawdown. Aries Simplification Working Group meets more |
| 29 November | Pensions Act published more |
| 24 November | Treasury Regs (SI 2004/3087) allow tax exemption for financial advice to employees, provided it costs no more than £150 more |
| 23 November | MFR "transitional period" officially extended to 5 April 2006 (SI 2004/3031) more |
| 18 November | Pensions Bill receives Royal Assent (after further amendments at Third Reading in House of Lords, and subsequent ping-pong with Commons). Civil Partnership Bill, providing entitlement to survivor pensions for same sex couples, also receives Royal Assent. |
| 17 November | DWP lays 2004 Occupational Pensions Revaluation Order (SI 2004/2948), dispensing with consultation to achieve more rapid publication more |
| 8 November | Fifth version of Pensions Bill published (HL Bill 125): Government still tabling amendments more |
| 2 November | DWP consults on further amendments to Stakeholder Pension Regs (SI 2000/1403) to introduce obligatory "lifestyling" in the five years pre -retirement more |
| 18 October | House of Lords Grand Committee completes examination of Pensions Bill: Fourth version of Bill published as HL Bill 116 more |
| 13 October | DWP discloses more details of plans for implementation of Pensions Act more |
| 12 October | Pensions Commission (Chairman: Adair Turner) publishes interim report more |
| 5 October | Opra opens online consultation on trustee knowledge and understanding |
| 1 October | Non-discrimination rules covering disability and occupational pension schemes come into force (via amendments to Disability Discrimination Act 1995). |
| 22 September | IR SPSS removes 10-year limit on UK pension scheme membership during overseas secondment (Pensions Update No 148: PN 15.11 (iii) deleted) more |
| 9 September | First published indications from DWP of intended timetable for bringing provisions of Pensions Act into force more |
| 7 September | Parliament resumed after summer recess: House of Lords Grand Committee continued examination of Pensions Bill more |
| 3 September | DWP consults on the OPS (Winding Up, Deficiency on Winding Up and Transfer Values) Amendment Regs, to remove the distinction between the debt on a solvent and on an insolvent employer, ie extending the full buy-out liability to all more |
| 3 September | DWP consults on draft regs to further extend the MFR to 5 April 2006 more |
| 26 August | Opra issues Update 9: guidance for schemes in wind-up on the FAS more |
| 9 August | Inland Revenue launches formal consultation of 18 Draft SIs under Finance Act 2004 more |
| 22 July | Finance Bill receives Royal Assent and becomes Finance Act 2004 more |
| 22 July | Opra publishes Update 8 "Preventing transfers to pension liberation schemes - further guidance" |
| 21 July | DWP holds 'Stakeholder Consultation Event' on the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) more |
| 7 July | Third Reading of Finance Bill in House of Commons: significant amendments tabled by Government more |
| 11 June | DWP announces intention to remove obligation to provide LPI from all money purchase benefits vesting after A Day more |
| 9 June | IR SPSS publishes Pensions Update No. 147 on split transfers and fragmented lump sums more |
| 20 May | Third Reading of Pensions Bill in House of Commons |
| 17 May | Opra publishes Upate 7 on "Bradstock" compromise deals more |
| 14 May | Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Andrew Smith) announces plan for Government financial assistance to members of certain pension schemes who have lost benefits on insolvency of sponsoring employer more |
| 12 May | Opra issues new reporting guidance for voluntary whistleblowers ( note 6 'Pensions Act 1995: the power to report problems to Opra'). more |
| 19 April | Amendments to Priority Order on Winding up published (in force 10 May 2004): DWP abandons original intention to give longer-serving members more than newer members. more |
| 8 April | Finance Bill published. more |
| 9 March | NAO report on Lifetime Allowance controversy broadly backs Government. more |
| 5 March | Consultation closed on IR second condoc on proposed new tax regime. more |
| 4 March | DWP announces Compensation Levy of 23p per member for 2004/05. more |
| 2 March | Government promises first amendments to Pensions Bill. more |
| 24 February | Occupational Pension Schemes (Winding Up and Deficiency on Winding Up etc) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/403 ) laid: in force 15 March 2004. more |
| 12 February | Government introduces Pensions Bill in Parliament. more |
| 3 February | DWP publishes "Informed Choices for Working and Saving": new initiatives to stimulate retirement provision. more |
| 2 February | Aries launches new computer-based training "Retirement Provision Certificate Course". more |
| 23 January | In Update 5, Opra further relaxes late payment reporting rules: no longer expects full compliance by trustees. more |
| 13 January | ECJ rules on Allonby case involving part-timers and access. more |
| 7 January | ECJ rules on K.B. case involving right of transsexuals to survivor's pensions. more |
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