15 January 2014

FRC challenges the reporting of companies classifying pension liabilities as equity

The Financial Reporting Review Panel (FRRP) of the FRC has, over recent years, considered several annual reports and accounts of companies which have put in place arrangements to provide additional collateral to their pension schemes in exchange for reduced annual contributions and a longer period to fund the pension scheme deficit. 

The FRRP acknowledges the genuine commercial reasons for establishing such arrangements and has focused on companies that have reclassified pension liabilities as equity instruments. Specifically, some of these arrangements, usually involving the establishment of a Scottish Limited Partnership which holds the collateral, have included additional features which appear to have been introduced in order to achieve an accounting outcome whereby the company's obligation to make future payments to its pension scheme is transformed into an equity instrument in the company’s consolidated accounts.  This has a favourable impact on financial solvency, gearing and reported comprehensive income notwithstanding that the company has retained the obligation to fund the pension deficit.

Following enquiries by the FRRP, each of the companies has revised either the arrangements or the amounts recognised with the result that the concerns of the FRRP have been addressed for the future from the date of the change.

Press release

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