Section 1 — Master Trust schemes: definition

(1) In this Act, “Master Trust scheme” means an occupational pension scheme which—

(a) provides money purchase benefits (whether alone or in conjunction with other benefits),

(b) is used, or intended to be used, by two or more employers,

(c) is not used, or intended to be used, only by employers which are connected with each other, ...

(d) is not a relevant public service pension scheme [F1 , and]

(e) [F2 is not a collective money purchase scheme.]

(1A) [F3 Where a Master Trust scheme has a section which is a collective money purchase scheme by virtue of section 1(2)(b) of the Pension Schemes Act 2021, references in the following provisions of this Act to a Master Trust scheme do not include any such section, except as provided in section 39(4A) to (4C).]

(2) Where a Master Trust scheme provides money purchase benefits in conjunction with other benefits, references in the following provisions of this Act to a Master Trust scheme are to a Master Trust scheme only to the extent that it provides money purchase benefits, except as provided in section 39(2) to (4).

(3) For the purposes of this section, an employer (“A”) is connected with another employer (“B”)—

(a) where A is, or has been, a group undertaking in relation to B within the meaning of section 1161(5) of the Companies Act 2006, or

(b) in circumstances specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(4) In this section—“employer”, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means a person who employs or engages persons who are, or are entitled to become, members of the scheme; “money purchase benefits” has the same meaning as in the Pension Schemes Act 1993 (see section 181 of that Act); “occupational pension scheme” has the same meaning as in the Pension Schemes Act 1993 (see section 1(1) of that Act); “relevant public service pension scheme” has the meaning given in section 2.

(5) Regulations under this section are subject to affirmative resolution procedure.

Amendment notes

1. F1 Word in s. 1(1)(d) inserted (31.7.2026) by The Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Extension to Unconnected Multiple Employer Schemes and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1313), regs. 1(3), 81(2)(b)
2. F2 S. 1(1)(e) inserted (31.7.2026) by The Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Extension to Unconnected Multiple Employer Schemes and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1313), regs. 1(3), 81(2)(c)
3. F3 S. 1(1A) inserted (31.7.2026) by The Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Extension to Unconnected Multiple Employer Schemes and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1313), regs. 1(3), 81(2)(d)