Glossary

 

  • Accrued Pension

    The amount of pension you built up in your scheme before you left the scheme or it started to be wound-up.

  • Active Member

    A member of a pension scheme who’s currently accruing pensionable service.

  • Actuarial Reduction

    This is applied to normal ill-health payments because they start before your normal retirement age and they are therefore expected to be paid over a longer period of time. The reduction is determined by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with advice from the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD).

  • Annual Payment

    The annual amount that you’re eligible to receive from the FAS. It will be paid to you in monthly instalments.

  • Annuity

    A product typically bought from an insurance company which entitles top-up members to receive a regular income for life and, potentially, an income to their survivor after their death.

  • Asset Share

    The amount of money calculated and allocated by your former pension scheme to pay your scheme benefits, allowing for the scheme’s funding position.

  • Basic Rate (BR)

    The basic rate of income tax in the UK is 20%. This means the member will be taxed 20% on the whole amount received.

  • Benefit Crystallisation Event (BCE)

    Between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2024, if a member retired from a pension scheme it was a classed as a Benefit Crystalisation Event (BCE).

  • Benefit Statement

    This can be requested by deferred members to provide a forecast of the amount that will be payable at normal retirement age. An online benefit statement is available to FAS members registered to use this website.

  • Beneficiary

    This refers to all members of qualifying pension schemes including Deferred Members, Active Members, Pensioner Members, Inherited Members and Pension Credit Members. ‘Beneficiary’ also refers to surviving spouses, civil partners or relevant partners and any eligible children of members of qualifying pension schemes who died after their scheme started to wind-up.

  • Board of the Pension Protection Fund

    This is a statutory body established under provisions of the Pensions Act 2004.

  • Bridging Pension

    This is a pension paid by a pension scheme normally between normal retirement age and state pension age. It is generally intended to ensure that an individual receives a stable income throughout retirement. Once the individual reaches state pension age, the bridging pension stops as state pension payments are then expected to begin.

  • Civil Partner

    An individual in a civil partnership with the member under the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

  • Civil Partnership

    A relationship between two individuals registered under the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

  • Commutation Factor

    The 'exchange rate' used when a member chooses to exchange part of their benefit for a cash lump sum.

  • Contracting/Contracted Out

    Under the state pension rules before 2016, workplace or private pension schemes could choose to 'contract out' of the additional state pension. Contracting out means opting out of the additional state pension. As a member of the contracted out scheme you would have paid lower National insurance contributions.

  • Contracted Out Pension Equivalent (COPE)

    The pension a member will get from their workplace/personal pension provider for the time they're contracted out of the additional state pension

  • Contracted-Out Pension Scheme

    This is a pension scheme that provides certain benefits to members, their widows, widowers or civil partners, in return for a reduction in National Insurance contributions. A lower State Additional Pension is paid as part of the State Retirement Pension as a consequence.

  • Deemed Buyback

    Members of a contracted-out pension scheme may have restored some or all of their State Additional Pension in return for a payment from their scheme. This process is called ‘Deemed Buyback’.

  • Deferred Member

    A member who is no longer an active member but who still has benefits preserved in the scheme which will be payable at a later date. The member may have left service of the employer, or may have opted out of the scheme.

  • Defined Benefit (DB) Pension Scheme

    A pension scheme where scheme members are promised a set amount of benefit, for example where benefits are worked out in line with their length of service and salary.

  • Defined Contribution (DC) Pension Scheme

    See money purchase scheme

  • Early Retirees

    Single payment members who retired before your normal retirement age (NRA) and are still below your NRA, so are being paid based on your notional pension. When you reach your NRA, your standard assistance will be calculated and you will receive this amount if it is higher.

  • Eligible Child/Children

    Your natural child (born or unborn at date of your death), your adopted child, or a child who was financially dependent on you at date of your death, who is:
    • Under 18
    • Over 18 and under 23 and in Qualifying Education, or
    • Over 18 and under 23 and has a Qualifying Disability.

  • Eligible Child/Children Payments

    The payment amount received by any eligible children is based on the member’s expected pension or notional pension. This amount varies depending on whether the deceased member has left a survivor and the number of surviving dependants. For more information see our ‘Payments for spouses, partners and children’ booklet.

  • Emergency Tax Code

    The tax code that is normally applied to the first monthly payment as we’ve yet to receive the correct tax code from HMRC.

  • Employer

    The company that employed you (a FAS member) while you were in pensionable service for your former pension scheme.

  • Estate

    The name for someone’s assets after they have died.

  • Expected Pension

    The amount of pension you built up in your pension scheme before it started to wind-up, which is used by the FAS to work out how much you’re entitled to receive from us.

  • Ex-Spouse

    An individual who was previously married to you (a FAS member).

  • Executor

    The person legally obliged (usually named in a will) to distribute the estate as per the deceased’s wishes as well as ensuring all eligible debts are paid.

  • FAS Cap

    The amount, set by the Government and recalculated every year, at which standard assistance payments are capped or limited. The majority of members aren’t affected by this cap. You can find details of the FAS cap for this year in our FAQs on entitlement.

  • FAS Normal Retirement Age

    The age, specified in the scheme rules, when you stopped accruing pension. This is the age at which you would normally retire. This is subject to a lower limit of age 60 and an upper limit of 65.

  • Former Civil Partner

    An individual who was previously in a Civil Partnership with the member.

  • Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP)

    In order to contract out prior to 6 April 1997, the scheme’s rules had to be designed to provide for a minimum amount of pension. This was known as the GMP.

  • Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) Equilisation

    This is where schemes must take into account the differences between men and women when paying Guaranteed Minimum Pension benefits (GMP).

  • Ill-Health Payments

    These are available to members who are unable to work due to ill health and who are within five years of their FAS normal retirement age. These payments are actuarially reduced to take into account that they are in payment for a longer period of time. See also severe ill-Health payments and terminal illness payments.

  • Inflation-linked increases

    These are increases based on factors determined by inflation.

  • Lifetime Allowance (LTA)

    The maximum amount a member can take from all of their pensions (except beneficiary pension and the state pension) across their lifetime without incurring an additional tax charge.

  • Lifetime Allowance (LTA) Protection

    If a member had pension benefits over certain levels they could apply to HMRC to protect them.

  • Lump Sum Allowance (LSA)

    The Lump Sum Allowance limits the amount of tax-free lump sum that an individual can take across all of their pension arrangements. The allowance is currently £268,275.00.

  • Money Purchase Scheme

    Also known as defined contribution schemes. Money purchase “pension pots” are made up of member and employer contributions (if applicable) plus investment returns and tax relief, and are used to purchase an annuity. Benefit levels are not guaranteed.

  • Nomination

    In pension terms, the member selecting someone to be the beneficiary upon the member’s death.

  • Nomination Form

    A form for you to complete to provide information to the FAS in respect of a nominated beneficiary.

  • Normal Pension Age

    The age under the scheme rules of your former pension scheme at which you were entitled to payment of your pension without actuarial adjustment, disregarding any special provision for early payment.

  • Normal Retirement Age

    The age specified in the scheme rules in force when you stopped accruing pension as the age at which the member will normally retire.

  • Notional Annuity

    An estimate of the yearly pension paid out in return for any benefits the former scheme paid out on a member’s behalf before the scheme had fully wound up. The payments types include:
    • tax free cash lump sum to the member
    • transfer payment to another pension scheme
    • payment to the government to increase your state benefits (see deemed buyback)
    • trivial commutation lump sum to the member, or
    • winding up lump sum to the member.

  • Notional Pension

    Our calculation of the annual amount your former scheme could have afforded to pay you, based on your asset share.

  • P60

    A document issued yearly which shows the amount earned from an employment/pension as well as the tax paid in a given tax year.

  • PAYE

    Pay As You Earn is the collection of income tax at source by HM Revenue and Customs. This applies to income paid to FAS beneficiaries as well as to income from employment.

  • Pension Increases

    The amount of your payment that increases may either depend on what your scheme could have afforded or it may relate to service after 5 April 1997. All increasing elements of your payment will go up each year by the rate of inflation, up to a maximum of 2.5 per cent.

  • Pensionable Service

    This is your service as a contributing member of a scheme, plus any transfer credits notified on an individual basis.

  • Pensionable service accrued

    The amount of time someone worked at a company whilst being a part of the workplace pension scheme.

  • Qualifying Disability

    A child aged 18 or over can still be eligible to receive FAS Assistance (up to the age of 23) if they cannot undertake full time paid employment due to a disability which is covered by the Equality Act 2010.

  • Qualifying Education

    A child aged 18 or over can still be eligible to receive assistance (up to the age of 23) if they’re in full time education. They will need to confirm their eligibility each year until they no longer qualify.

  • Qualifying Member

    For the purpose of FAS, this is a member as defined in the Financial Assistance Scheme Regulations (Regulation 15).

  • Qualifying Pension Scheme

    For the purpose of the FAS, this is a pension scheme as defined in the Financial Assistance Scheme Regulations (Regulation 9).

  • Relevant Partner

    A relevant partner is someone who you aren’t married to or in a civil partnership with, but who you live with as if you’re married or in a civil partnership.

  • Retail Prices Index (RPI)

    A measure of inflation which was commonly used up until 31 March 2011.

  • Revaluation

    Increases which aim to give some protection against inflation, normally up to your FAS normal retirement age.

  • Reviewable Determinations

    FAS will make a formal decision about whether a scheme member can receive assistance and the amount they should receive. This is known as a determination. If a determination is disagreed, FAS can be asked to look at the decision. This is called a review.

  • Severe Ill-Health Payments

    These are available to you if you are aged over 55, unable to work, have a progressive disease and a significantly-reduced life-expectancy. These payments are not actuarially reduced. See also ill-health payments and terminal illness Payments.

  • Single Payment Members

    If your scheme did not pay out all of your available funds as mentioned above, they would have been transferred to the FAS. This means you will only receive payments from the FAS.

  • Standard Assistance

    Our calculation of 90 per cent of your expected pension, reduced if higher than the FAS cap and minus any notional annuities.

  • Survivor

    A FAS survivor is the spouse or civil partner of an eligible member of a qualifying pension scheme following their death. Relevant partners may be entitled to Assistance payments.

  • Survivor Payments

    In most cases, we’ll pay an eligible spouse or partner payments after the member dies. For more information see our booklet ‘Payments for spouses, partners and children’.

  • Tax Deducted At Source

    Tax is taken directly from your payment and sent to HMRC.

  • Tax Free Cash Lump Sum

    Like most pension schemes, the FAS will allow certain members to choose to receive a tax free cash lump sum - (sometimes known as a pension commencement lump sum or PCLS) – on retirement in exchange for a lower annual pension. The amount of lump sum you can take is limited by certain FAS and tax rules. This is only an option if you are a single payment member.

  • Tax Free Cash Recycling

    HMRC has rules on members using their tax free lump sum to increase contributions into other pension arrangements which must be declared. If you aren’t within the rules, HMRC may apply a tax charge.

  • Terminal Illness Payments

    These are available to you at any age if you are terminally ill. These payments are not actuarially reduced. See also ill-health payments and severe ill-health payments.

  • Trivial Commutation

    This term simply means taking all the payments that you’re due as a one-off payment rather than taking it in monthly instalments. Only the PPF can make these types of payments.

  • Top Up Members

    Your former schemes secured benefits for you before the scheme fully wound-up. They might have done this by purchasing you an annuity or by transferring the whole of your available funds to another arrangement. Alternatively, they may have pad you all of your available funds as a lump sum.

  • Uncommuted

    A full benefit which hasn’t been partially exchanged for tax free cash.

  • Wind-up (winding-up or wound-up)

    Wind-up is the term normally used to describe the process by which a pension scheme comes to an end.

 

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