Ministers are contemplating a sweeping reform to the fund that protects savers in firm pension plans that might flip it right into a automobile capable of make investments tens of billions of kilos in UK companies.
Proposals earlier than ministers may see the government-backed Pension Protection Fund, which has £39bn in pension belongings, given an prolonged remit to tackle struggling company “defined benefit” retirement schemes, in keeping with individuals briefed on the matter.
Currently, the PPF has a restricted position in offering a security web for pension schemes when their employer fails, and can’t meet members’ retirement cost guarantees in full.
However, proposals being thought-about by the Treasury would see the PPF’s remit widened so it has a extra lively position in taking up firm pension plans that haven’t failed, with the transfer doubtlessly unlocking tens of billions of kilos for funding within the UK.
Jeremy Hunt, chancellor, is inspecting the proposals as a manner of directing extra pension cash held in defined-benefit schemes into start-ups and fast-growing companies, in addition to halting the City of London’s decline as a venue for preliminary public choices by corporations.
People briefed on the proposals mentioned there can be no compulsion, however that smaller, poorer performing outlined profit schemes may ask to be taken over by the PPF.
That would permit them to profit from scale, higher governance and funding experience, moderately than ready till they ended up within the PPF anyway after they failed. The proposals, nonetheless at an early stage, would require main laws, mentioned one authorities insider.
There are presently round 5,100 non-public sector outlined profit pension schemes within the UK, with about £1.4tn in belongings.
The latest surge of rates of interest has boosted funding for a majority of the schemes, however there’s a substantial minority which might be in deficit, in keeping with PPF evaluation.
Steve Webb, a former minister and accomplice with LCP, an actuarial consultancy, mentioned that if struggling pension schemes might be shifted to the PPF with out failing first, it may result in “tens of billions of assets” being transferred to the fund.
“With more than a trillion of assets in the UK defined benefit space, a transfer of assets of this sort would be possible,” he added.
However, Webb mentioned the PPF made its personal funding selections, although it’s a statutory public company that’s accountable to parliament.
“If the government wanted to direct investment strategy, it would have to change the rules for the PPF to do this,” he added.
The PPF shake-up is considered one of a number of choices the federal government is contemplating because it appears for tactics to make sure that tens of billions of kilos of pension funding goes into boosting UK corporations and serving to with the transition to a inexperienced financial system.
Over the previous 20 years, holdings of UK-listed corporations by British pension and insurance coverage funds have plunged from about half of their portfolios to 4 per cent, in keeping with information from advisory agency Ondra Partners. Meanwhile, their holdings of fastened earnings have surged from 17 per cent in 2000 to 72 per cent in 2022.
This shift in asset allocation was partly pushed by an accounting change in 2000 that compelled corporations to recognise pension fund deficits or surpluses on their steadiness sheets.
A authorities spokesman mentioned: “We’re determined to increase investment into the UK’s high-growth sectors, ensuring our most cutting-edge businesses can access the finance they need to scale up and list in the UK.
“Unlocking the billions of pounds held in pension schemes across the country is key to channelling capital into productive assets in a way that benefits both businesses and pension holders, powering economic growth and increasing the retirement income of millions of savers.”
The PPF has been approached for remark.
Source: www.ft.com