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DB scheme surplus rises to £271.3bn; funding ratio hits three-year high


By Callum Conway

The aggregate surplus of defined benefit (DB) schemes in the UK increased by £7.3bn during July to £271.3bn, as falling liabilities outweighed a decline in asset values, the latest figures from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) have shown.

The PPF’s 7800 Index showed that the aggregate funding ratio rose by 1.9 percentage points from 131.1 per cent in June to 133 per cent, the highest level recorded since July 2023


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Trust in AI for pension guidance improving but concerns remain

Artificial intelligence (AI) is ‘transforming’ the way people access financial support, with trust in using the technology for pension guidance improving, research from Scottish Widows has shown

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Royal Society of Chemistry Pension Scheme secures £83m buy-in with PIC

The Royal Society of Chemistry Pension Scheme has completed an £83m full-scheme buy-in with Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC)

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Women contributed £310 less to workplace pensions in 2025 as gender gap progress slows

The median female employee contributed £310 less to their workplace pension than the median male employee in 2025, according to analysis from Broadstone

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Civil Service Pensions appoints auditor as backlog remains above 30,000 cases

Civil Service Pensions has appointed an external auditor to review Capita’s administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS), as more than 30,000 retirement quote and bereavement cases remain outstanding

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IHT changes risk ‘unfairly penalising’ pensions

Inheritance tax (IHT) reforms risk creating a regime that penalises pensions unfairly compared to other assets, AJ Bell has warned

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PASA publishes interim guidance on dashboards member communication

The Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA) has published interim guidance aimed at supporting administrators, providers, and service centres with responding to member questions about pensions dashboards

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