The Court approved the Trustee’s application on 6 March 2026 and confirmed that the change to the Scheme’s rules can properly be made.
The change then took immediate effect. Details of the change can be found here
The reasons for the Court’s decision will be provided orally at a remote (i.e. online) hearing at 2pm on 18 March 2026. Confirmation of the listing of that hearing will be published on the Gov.uk website (here) at approximately 3 p.m. on the day before the hearing. The Court has provided a direction in relation to attendance at the remote hearing by members of the public, which is set out at the end of this announcement.
The change to the Scheme’s rules will not change your benefits. In particular, if you have DB benefits, they remain unaffected by this change, and if you have DC benefits, the change will not affect the value of your DC pension pot or how much will be paid into it in the future. The Trustee also does not believe that the rule change will impact the security of members’ benefits.
Please note that the dedicated email inbox which the Trustee established to receive questions and comments in relation to the rule change and the Court application will no longer be monitored.
Court directions in relation to attendance at the remote hearing
Members of the public and journalists may observe the Remote Hearing but the following points should be noted:
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The attendee needs to provide the court with the following information in advance of the hearing:
(a) name
(b) organisation
c) email address
(d) the location, including country, from which they would be joining the hearing (if not England and Wales) - If the attendee does not have a CE File account then the above information should be emailed to Chancery Masters Appointments chancery.mastersappointments@justice.gov.uk and cc to Elisa.Dharmaseelan@justice.gov.uk
- If the attendee is joining from outside England and Wales the onus is on the attendee to ensure that such attendance is not a breach of any local laws or regulations. If permission is required from a local court or other authority in that jurisdiction, such permission has been obtained.
- If the court has been provided with the relevant information it will seek to facilitate attendance by that person at the Remote Hearing. However: (a) there is no absolute right to attend a Remote or Hybrid Hearing; (b) failure to give timely notice of a wish to attend may mean that attendance cannot be facilitated; and (c) access cannot in any event be guaranteed; the needs of other litigants, the limits on resources and the need to monitor the identities of those who view the proceedings may mean that the court is not able to provide access.
- A link provided to an attendee is for their own use. No-one who is provided with a link may forward it to any other person without the court’s permission. There is a strict prohibition against any unauthorised dissemination of the hearing and the making of any sound or video recording of it, including screen shots.
- The attendee should familiarise themselves with the etiquette for Remote Hearings. See Appendix Z of the Chancery Guide. https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Chancery-Guide-December-2023.pdf