Information and consultation checklist - occupational and personal pension schemes

Use this checklist if you have 50+ employees before certain changes are made to their occupational pensions or personal pension schemes which you contribute to.

Legal obligations

In line with the Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations, separate parallel pension regulations apply to employers with 50+ employees in respect of occupational pension schemes which require such employers to inform and consult about proposals to:

1. increase the normal pension age for members (or members of a particular description);
2. prevent new members (or members of a particular description) from being admitted to the scheme;
3. prevent the future accrual of benefits under the scheme for or in respect of members (or members of a particular description);
4. remove the liability to make employer contributions towards the scheme in respect of members (or members of a particular description);
5. introduce (where previously not payable) or increase member contributions;
6. change what elements of pay are included within pensionable earnings, or change the proportion, or limit the amount of any element of pay that forms part of pensionable earnings;
7. in respect of money purchase benefits only, reduce employer contributions in respect of members (or members of a particular description); or
8. in respect of non-money purchase benefits for members of the scheme, or in relation to members of a particular description:

• change money purchase benefits
• change the basis for determining the rate of future accrual of benefits
• modify the scheme so as to reduce the future accrual rate of benefits; or
• make any other reduction in the rate of future accrual of benefits.

In respect of personal pension schemes, the changes about which employers will be required to inform and consult are proposals to cease, reduce or increase employer contributions to the scheme.