A review of the law concerning forfeiture and liens

Abstract

With the arrival of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (the Act) on the statute book last November, it is timely to review the general law on the forfeiture of and liens over entitlements and accrued rights under occupational pension schemes. The Act, among other things, puts a member's pension rights under a pension arrangement beyond his trustee in bankruptcy in certain circumstances. The provisions of the Act are already wide-ranging in this respect, although there are still sets of regulations to be introduced before the Act finally becomes law in April 2001.