How to submit a request to The Pensions Regulator to appoint a trustee to a trust-based pension scheme.
Key points
- Every trust-based pension scheme should have one or more trustees.
- Requests to appoint a trustee need to be made by the scheme provider using our online service.
- You may need to complete a declaration form as evidence to support your request.
- We aim to respond to trustee appointment requests in ten working days.
Submit a trustee appointment request
Every trust-based pension scheme should have one or more trustees responsible for the proper running of the scheme in accordance with its scheme documentation.
The trustee can be a lay person, a professional (an independent trustee), a corporate body or a combination of these.
If the scheme is left with no trustees who are willing or able to act, for example because the individual trustee steps down, or the corporate trustee becomes insolvent, then we may use our powers under section 7(3)(b) of the Pensions Act 1995 to appoint a new trustee to the scheme.
Requests to appoint a trustee to a scheme need to be made by the scheme provider using our Trustee Appointment Requests (TAR) online service, accessible via Exchange.
Scheme members
If you are a scheme member you will be asked by the scheme provider to complete the appropriate declaration(s) from those listed below and send these to your scheme provider who should complete the request on your behalf.
Scheme providers
If the scheme is left with no trustees who are willing or able to act then we may use our powers to appoint a new trustee to the scheme. You can submit a request for us to appoint a trustee to an occupational pension scheme, under s7(3)(b) of the Pensions Act 1995 using our Trustee Appointment Requests (TAR) online service, accessible via Exchange.
If the trustee appointment is for any other purpose (such as to secure the proper use or application of the assets to the scheme or where the trustees in place do not have sufficient knowledge or skills) then you need to contact us.
Register for Exchange
You need to use our online service Exchange to request a trustee appointment. If you are not already registered for Exchange you need to first register for this service.
You will then need to send the following information to customersupport@tpr.gov.uk to allow us to set up your account for TAR:
- Confirmation of the name for your account. This is likely to be the name of your company.
- Email address of your primary account holder. Your primary account holder needs to already be registered on Exchange and, once your account is set up, will have the ability to add or remove users, provided each user is also registered on Exchange.
Supporting documents for trustee appointment requests
Supporting documents are declaration forms which may be required, depending on the type of trustee appointment request made. The declaration forms are used to confirm various details about the third party and / or member.
Where the member or third party is the trustee applicant they will need to complete either the 'member declaration' or 'third party declaration' form.
Where a member wishes to nominate a third party to act on their behalf, they will need to complete the 'members consent for third party to act' form. The third party will also need to complete the 'third party declaration' form.
How long will it take to appoint a trustee?
We aim to let you know whether it's reasonable to appoint a trustee within ten working days. If we do determine it's reasonable to appoint we will follow our Staff Determinations procedure and would expect to confirm the appointment within:
- Four weeks from the date of determining it is reasonable to appoint for member or third party appointments.
- Ten weeks from the date of determining it is reasonable to appoint for independent trustee appointments.