Eversheds Sutherland has created a weekly pensions clinic for its clients to help them “navigate the pension landscape” and make the right decisions during the Covid-19 crisis.

The firm says that its pensions clinic will provide clients, such as employers, pension trustees, administrators and providers, with a forum to discuss any Covid-19-related queries or concerns directly with one of the firm’s pensions experts: “They will receive advice and a market view without obligation or any fees,” said the firm.

The lawyers have found that clients are having to grapple with several issues, including: 

• Requests for contribution suspensions or deferrals by employers
• Assessing the impact of the Wage Subsidy Scheme, temporary pay cuts and layoffs on pension and death in service benefits
• Ability to hold trustee meetings by video conference or teleconference
• Implications for the tax residence of schemes of trustees being located overseas
• Transfer payment requests
• Ability to issue scheme member communications in paper form
• Ability to execute trust deeds and other trust documentation and ability to comply with regulatory obligations more generally.

The clinics kick off next Wednesday, April 29 and will continue while lockdown conditions are in place. A client can book a 15-minute slot using either a video call or audio, and the man to contact for further information is partner and head of pensions Peter Fahy (pictured above).

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