News

Find out what’s happening at Sackers. Our News section provides information about recent work, press comment and media coverage, and what our people are doing.

Latest News

Pensions reform – the Budget and tax simplification

In his last Budget before the general election, on 16 March 2005 the Chancellor Gordon Brown confirmed that “a package of supplementary measures” will form part of the tax simplification provisions coming into force in April...

Increasing pensions in payment – simplification or complication?

Back in July 2002, the Pickering report put forward a radical rethink of compulsory increases on pensions in payment because of concerns that they were “disproportionately expensive”. With the Government keen to maintain some...

TUPE transfers – new pension protection

Having been watered down by successive European Court decisions, the pensions exemption under TUPE will face a radical shake-up from 6 April 2005. The changes are being brought under the Pensions Act 2004 and will finally fulfil the...

Tax simplification – further changes announced

The Inland Revenue has announced a futher package of measures which will form part of the tax simplication changes due to come into force on 6 April 2006 (A-Day). Many of the new measures stem from on-going “liaison” with the...

Trustees – the scope of knowledge and understanding

Under the Pensions Act 2004, pension scheme trustees must have sufficient knowledge and understanding (TKU) of pensions and trusts law to run their schemes properly. Trustees should also be conversant with scheme documents. On 4 February...

First PPF levies announced

The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) is one of the key elements in the Pensions Act 2004. It is designed to provide a safety net for members of underfunded defined benefit (DB) schemes whose employers become insolvent. The PPF will be...

New rights for transsexuals

From 4 April 2005, post-operative transsexuals will finally be entitled to legal recognition in their acquired gender. This ground-breaking legislation is the culmination of several high-profile cases in recent years before the legal...