Benefits.


Other benefits for executive directors provided by the Group are:

  • pension scheme
  • car allowance
  • medical insurance; and
  • staff discounts.

Our products can be acquired by executive directors on the terms available to members of staff.

Pensions

Three of the executive directors (Tim Breedon, John Pollock and Mark Gregory) are members of the Group UK Senior Pension Scheme (‘the Plan’), details of which are given in the Pension Entitlements section below.

Executives who elected solely for primary protection in response to the lifetime allowance introduced as part of the reforms to pensions legislation in 2006, remain in the Plan. For those executives who elected for enhanced protection, they have opted out of the Plan for future service accrual. Consistent with the legislation, affected executives will be entitled to a pension determined by reference to pensionable earnings at retirement, provided this does not breach the enhanced protection requirements.

From 1 January 2009 onwards, the increases in pensionable salary under the Plan have been capped at a maximum of 2.5% each year for active members (including relevant executive directors). For Tim Breedon and John Pollock, both of whom opted for enhanced protection and no longer accrue pension within the Plan, their non-bonusable salary supplement is 22% of the equivalent of the ‘capped pensionable salary’ had they remained members of the Plan from 1 January 2009, reflecting a broadly equivalent benefit to the application of a 2.5% per annum pensionable salary increase cap. In addition, their basic salary at retirement will no longer be used to determine their ultimate pension entitlement. There is no change to this arrangement in line with the Government’s announcement that enhanced protection taken under the A-day rules will not be affected by the changes in Lifetime Allowance.

It is now theoretically possible for them to incur an additional tax charge in some years if they exceed the Annual Allowance.

In accordance with the benefit changes made with effect from 1 January 2009, accrued pension to 31 December 2008 based on final pensionable salary at 31 December 2008 will increase by:

a. for pension earned before 6 April 2006 the greater of the Retail Price Index (RPI) and national average earnings (NAE), with a maximum of 5% in any year; and

b. in respect of service from 6 April 2006 to 31 December 2008 the lesser of 5% per annum over the whole period and the RPI.

Due to changes in legislation and the rules of the defined benefit schemes, the RPI referred to above will change to CPI.

From 1 January 2009 onwards, the increases in pensionable salary under the Plan are capped at a maximum of 2.5% each year for active members, including relevant executive directors.

Retirement

On retirement from Legal & General at age 60 and subject to statutory limits, executive directors are entitled to pensions as follows:

Mark Gregory: one-sixtieth of his eligible pensionable salary for each year of eligible service subject to him continuing his 5% of pensionable salary contribution.

Tim Breedon and John Pollock: one-sixtieth of eligible salary for each year of service through to the date they opted for enhanced protection. Since opting for enhanced protection on 6 April 2006 they have received a cash supplement in lieu of pension accrual as shown in the Directors’ Remuneration table in the Our remuneration policies section. Consistent with the legislation, their pension entitlement at retirement remained linked to their salary; however, this linkage ceased at 31 December 2008.

Nigel Wilson: Nigel Wilson is a member of the Group’s defined contribution arrangements, the Legal & General Staff Pension Plan. He is entitled to a Company contribution of 15% of his pensionable salary if he also contributes 5%.

Bonus sacrifice into pension

Executive directors, like all managers, may elect, before its award, to sacrifice all or part of their cash bonus into pension. Bonus sacrifice is at the discretion of the Company each year.

Death in service

On death in service, a capital sum equal to four times salary is payable, together with a spouse’s pension of four-ninths of the member’s annualised salary. Protection is also offered in the event of serious ill health. This latter benefit has no transfer value in the event of the member leaving service.

Pension entitlements

(Download XLS:) Download Excel

Name

Age at
31 December
2010
 

Increase (decrease) in accrued pension in
2010
£’000

Accumulated accrued pension at 31 December
2010
£’000

Transfer value of accrued benefits at 31 December
2010
£’000

Transfer value of accrued benefits at 31 December
2009
£’000

Increase/ (decrease) net of employee contributions in
2010
£’000

The increase in accrued pension during the year excludes any increase for inflation.

1

Nigel Wilson is a member of the defined contribution arrangement. The Company contributed £110,879 into his fund in 2010 (includes his 5% contribution). The contribution in 2009 was £27,296.

The information in this table has been audited by the independent auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Tim Breedon

52

(4)

275

5,553

5,810

(529)

John Pollock

52

(2)

172

3,412

3,587

(343)

Mark Gregory

47

3

33

543

521

(2)

Nigel Wilson1

54

The defined benefit pensions accrued for Tim Breedon and John Pollock are based on service to the date of cessation of accrual, and revalued to the accounting date using published revaluation factors. As these factors are published in arrears, the factor for the last nine months’ revaluation is always an assumed one. This year the actual revaluation factor was much lower than that assumed, and so, as there is no further accrual of defined benefit pension, the pension disclosed has reduced.

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