Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people on Pension Sharing Orders receive the same communication as the named person; and whether his Department issues guidance on how to communicate with those on a PSO.

The information which schemes must provide where a pension sharing order is being considered or once an order has been submitted to a scheme is provided for in The Pensions on Divorce etc (Provision of Information) Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/1048). This applies to divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership.

Once a pension sharing order has been implemented in a private pension, the former spouse’s share is transferred to a separate pension arrangement for them. This separate arrangement is not affected by the original member’s future circumstances. Individual pension schemes are then responsible for any relevant communication to members as part of their normal administrative processes.