Client feedback

“I wanted to look at the effectiveness of our trustee board, so Gillian, our PSGS scheme secretary, provided their trustee self-assessment tool to help me gather thoughts and opinions from others on the board. The tool was extremely easy to use and asked all the right questions to help me collect the information I needed as Trustee Chair. It is a great example of the way PSGS shares knowledge with their clients and makes dealing with key governance issues easy. As well as enabling me to meet one of the Regulator’s 21st century trusteeship requirements, using the tool has flagged trustee training needs and ways we could improve trustee meetings further. ”
Claire Silvester,
Vector Aerospace
“PSGS were overall more professional than others.”
Paul Staniland,
Kier
“I found the trustee training really beneficial, highly recommended. I am not a trustee, I represent the employer and I think it will be valuable for me in future, having a better understanding of the trustees' perspective.”
Dave Strain,
Royal Yachting Association
“Many organisations and people provide the services that clients need. In my opinion, the differentiator is in the way those services are provided and to that extent, Kathy embodies the qualities that I have come to value from PSITL. Kathy is organised but not fussy; diligent but not dogmatic; persistent without being pushy and compliant in a pragmatic way. Whilst she takes ownership and drives issues forward, Kathy is a team player who uses her and her colleagues experience to provide services to her trustee client whilst working closely with those like me representing the sponsoring employer. She works collaboratively with advisers but constructively challenges the scope of services, fees and service standards whenever necessary and makes sure that member needs are always taken into account. I enjoy working with her and trust that she will deliver what is required by the trustee and the members they represent in a manner satisfactory to the sponsoring employer. ”
Stuart Barker,
Internal Pensions Consultant, RSPCA
“We now have a very collaborative approach between trustees and employer.”
Peter Millard,
Company Secretary, TRL Limited
“Wish I'd had the opportunity to do the Trustee training course sooner! ”
Stuart Atkins,
Raleigh UK Ltd
image for Pensions Regulator clearance applications | Clearance applications

Clearance applications

Whether you’re undergoing a corporate transaction or another event could affect your DB pension scheme, obtaining a clearance statement from the Pensions Regulator (tPR) is rarely a straightforward process.


There are many situations where you may consider using the Pensions Regulator’s clearance process - especially those that may be of material detriment to your defined benefit (DB) pension scheme and its members. These include:

  • a change in the pension scheme sponsoring employer's financial status or weakening of the employer covenant - caused by events such as a return of capital, share buy backs, changes in the level of security for creditors, sale and leaseback transactions etc
  • pension scheme funding and pension deficit reduction negotiations
  • corporate transactions - including merger, acquisition and divestiture, as well as dealing with proposed compromise arrangements
  • group re-structure, merger of employers or replacement of a participating employer
  • pension scheme amendments - such as changes to the level of future benefit accrual
  • pension scheme mergers
  • introducing a new pensions investment strategy
  • phoenix events following sponsoring employer insolvency

Typically, when a tPR clearance application is being made, pension trustees and the scheme sponsor are likely to be in a position of disagreement and potential conflict. PSGS's experience as professional independent trustees, and trained mediators, together with our close working relationship with the Pensions Regulator, mean we can steer you through the clearance process and come to agreement quickly and efficiently, no matter how complex your situation is.

Case study

Our client: a leading publishing house

Objective:

  • global group plans to de-merge
  • secure the financial position of two pension schemes during the de-merger

What we did:

We organised an independent covenant review. This stated the pension schemes’ sponsor would be less financially robust after the de-merger, but the covenant would not be significantly reduced because the group’s legal obligation to the schemes was uncertain.

Despite this, the group wanted to apply for clearance from the Pensions Regulator. In return for the pension trustees’ support of their application, as an independent trustee we were able to negotiate substantial payments into the pension schemes and some additional financial support from the wider group for the scheme sponsor.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you with your Pensions Regulator clearance application, please contact us.

Speak direct to our specialist in this area
Picture of James Double independent trustee at PSIT

James Double

Head of Trusteeship
Email James
Or call us on:

0845 313 0024

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