Pensions: DC trustee agenda update - for July 2022 meetings

TCFD reporting requirements and SIP/implementation statement guidance NEW

Schemes in scope for TCFD reporting requirements (including £1bn+ schemes in the second wave of the rollout) will have to include ‘Paris alignment’ reporting from 1 October 2022 for scheme years ending after that date. The government has produced updated statutory guidance to reflect these new requirements.

The government has also updated its guidance on reporting in statements of investment principles (SIPs) and implementation statements, to provide greater clarity on stewardship, including voting and engagement. Compliance with statutory elements of the guidance is required for your next scheme year ending on or after 1 October 2022.

Read more.

ACTION: Discuss the new requirements and guidance with your investment advisers.

TPR guidance: reporting pension scams NEW

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published a guide on reporting pension scams, including when to report, what information to provide and what will happen next. Read the guide.

ACTION: make sure your scheme has processes in place for reporting suspicions of scams in line with the new guide.

Regulations on investment consultancy (IC) and fiduciary management (FM) NEW

Regulations to replace the current regime on strategic objectives for IC providers and competitive tenders for FM services are expected to come into force on 1 October 2022. The new regulations largely replicate the existing requirements, but there are a few changes to be aware of: read more.

ACTION: Check whether your IC/FM arrangements are impacted by the new rules.

Have your say

• The DWP has published a call for evidence on areas including whether investment pathways (offering a range of investment plans based on what a member intends to do with their pension pot) would be helpful in the occupational pensions context and whether ‘wake-up’ communications should be simplified and provided earlier and more regularly. The deadline for feedback is 25 July 2022: read more.

Watch this space

• TPR has consulted on its proposed single code of practice: watch our webinar on the proposals and read TPR’s interim response. On timing, TPR’s recent corporate plan states only that the Code will be published ‘during 2022’.
• A revised code on transfers, and other materials from the Pension Scams Industry Group, are expected imminently.
• TPR will be launching a joint consultation with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and DWP on a Value for Money Framework by the end of the year.

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