Background
In February 2022 the UK Government unveiled its long-awaited plans to improve corporate transparency and reform the company register framework, in a move widely regarded as having been accelerated (at least in part) in response to the conflict in Ukraine. In this blog, we look at how the changes could affect UK pension scheme trustees.
Planned Legislative Reform
In summary, the proposed changes that pension scheme trustees should monitor closely are as follows.
- Companies will be allowed a maximum of one “layer” of corporate directors, which must be based in the UK, and the natural persons directing each corporate director will be subject to identity verification.
- Companies House will take on more of a regulator’s role – it will review and query information that is submitted, with individuals who fail to verify their identity or comply with new requirements under these reforms becoming subject to new criminal and civil sanctions.
- Anyone wishing to make a filing at Companies House, alongside all company directors and persons with significant control, must verify their identity using photographic identification.