In our Pensions Legal Outlook 2026, we set out the key legal and regulatory themes that will shape decision‑making for occupational pension scheme trustees and sponsoring employers over the year ahead. Building on the significant developments in 2025, we highlight what to monitor now and where to start preparing for change.

The big news in 2025 was the publication of the Pension Schemes Bill. We expect the Bill will receive Royal Assent early in 2026, setting the agenda for the next few years of pensions reform. The changes have the potential to be genuinely transformative, particularly for the defined contribution (DC) market, where the key themes of consolidation, increasing investment in UK markets and improving outcomes for members continue to drive Government policy. We are also seeing an exciting period of innovation in pensions, with developments such as collective defined contribution (CDC) schemes and defined benefit (DB) superfunds opening up new opportunities.

Many of the changes will, however, take some time to come to fruition, with the Government’s roadmap for reform currently envisaging a timetable that runs through to 2030. For many schemes and employers, 2026 will therefore be a year of monitoring developments and preparing for the future.

​

​