Delivering collective defined contribution pension schemes

CDC pension schemes allow contributions to be pooled and invested to give members a target benefit level.

Advantages of CDC schemes include that they:

• provide a savings and income in retirement option within one package that is potentially attractive to people who are uncomfortable making complex financial decisions at the point of retirement
• enable the sharing of longevity risk between members, therefore providing each individual member with an element of longevity protection without the cost of accessing the insurance market
• allow employers to offer their employees a pension scheme, which offers an income in retirement in the form of a pension from the scheme’s own assets, but without the risks and balance sheet impact of sponsoring a defined benefit plan

The government recognises there is growing interest in CDC schemes, and the Work and Pensions Select Committee recently recommended that the government should act quickly to legislate to allow the schemes.

This consultation sets out proposals as to how a particular form of CDC scheme might work in the UK, and the legislative and regulatory regime that would be needed to support any such scheme. It gives an indication of the government’s policy intentions and likely focus of the legislation.