Ellison blasts DWP for too many regulations

The firm says the sheer size of the paper could lead to problems in the future.
Pinsent Masons head of strategic development, pensions, Robin Ellison says, “The DWP’s latest consultation is 218 pages long. The draft regulations consulted on take up around 50 pages with around the same number of pages again of statutory guidance. This gives employers some idea of the complexity they will be faced with in complying with their new pension duties from around 2012. Where legislation is as complex as this, some employers are bound to breach it in one way or other without intending to break the law. We can only hope that the Regulator takes account of this complexity in deciding whether or not to impose fines. It would be a shame if Regulator fines end up drawing the limelight away from the good general intentions behind the new legislation: to widen pension provision to as many employees as possible.”