A third (33 per cent) of pension schemes are ‘highly likely’ to make use of the Virgin Media remedy as it becomes law in the Pension Schemes Act, a poll by Sackers has found.

According to the webinar poll, a further 37 per cent of respondents believed it was possible to use the remedy and were investigating.

In terms of timescales, of those expected to proceed, 5 per cent planned to do so immediately and 37 per cent within the first year.

The Pension Schemes Act 2026 introduced a statutory process to address issues arising from the Virgin Media case, including the validation of affected historic scheme amendments, subject to specific conditions, gateway checks and scheme-specific applications.

Sackers partner, James Bingham, welcomed the introduction of the Virgin Media remedy, calling it a “pragmatic step forward for the industry”, and said it would hopefully draw a line under the issue.

The legislation offers a clear and practical route forward, he added, with workable principles that provide schemes with greater certainty over the process and next steps.

“The focus now turns to implementation,” he continued. “Schemes will need to consider the availability and quality of historic member data, which is not always immediately accessible and can take time to retrieve.

"There may also be actuarial and evidential challenges, and some actuaries may want to take advice on the steps they are being asked to take.”

He also said it was important to be realistic about timescales and workload when using the remedy.

Bingham added: “Schemes will need to ensure they follow the required actuarial procedure and maintain clear documentation.

"Done properly, this should help bring long-awaited clarity on affected amendments and enable continued administration of benefits in line with current practice.”

---