Further information on your pension benefits is available in your Members’ handbook.

Please note that the handbook is a summary of the benefits provided under the Fund and does not detail every member’s individual benefits, which will depend on the member’s circumstances and may therefore differ from those set out in the handbook. The Trustee must pay member benefits in line with the Fund’s Trust Deed and Rules, which will prevail in the event of any difference between the handbook and the Trust Deed and Rules.

This handbook is available as a reference document. Please contact the Fund Administrator, Willis Towers Watson, if you have a specific question about Fund benefits.

Keeping us up to date with any changes to your personal circumstances helps us pay you and your dependants the right benefits. It also means that should anything happen to you, your wishes are understood by the Trustee.

You should contact us if you:

• notice that any of your personal details are incorrect – contact ICI Pensions Services.
• change your name – complete the Change of personal details form and provide relevant official documentation supporting your change of name (e.g. original marriage certificate, certificate of civil partnership or deed poll documentation – these will be returned to you by special delivery).
• change your address – complete the Change of personal details form
• change your marital or civil partnership status – complete the Change of personal details form and provide your original marriage certificate, certificate of civil partnership or decree absolute (this will be returned to you by special delivery). Your marital status will only be changed once ICI Pensions Services see an original copy of your certificate.
• haven’t yet provided details of your dependant children – complete the Change of personal details form
• would like someone to be considered for a dependant’s pension benefit in the event of your death – complete a Britag and Holden Sections Nominated Dependant’s pension – Nomination form
• would like someone to be considered for any lump-sum benefits in the event of your death, or to change your current nomination – complete the Expression of wish form

Once you’ve completed any form, please return a signed, hard copy by post to ICI Pensions Services.

The Trustee takes the security of your personal information very seriously. Therefore we require any changes to your personal details in writing with your signature to help protect you from fraud. Please note the ICI Pensions Services team will never ask you to confirm.

You will be entitled to receive your pension from your normal retirement age. A retirement pension quotation will usually be sent to you six months before your normal retirement age.

When you come to retire you may also have an opportunity to exchange some of your pension for a cash lump sum, which is also referred to as the Pension Commencement Lump Sum (PCLS). Please consider this carefully as you will only be offered this option as you retire – once you have started to receive your pension it is not possible to choose a lump sum, nor is it possible to change the value of your lump sum.

Draw your pension early

If you are age 55 or over, you can usually draw your pension early. To get an estimate of what you could expect to receive at retirement, taking into account your earlier pension start date please contact ICI Pensions Services. You may request up to two free quotes within a twelve-month period (there will be a charge for additional quotes).

Draw your pension late

You can start to take your pension benefits after your normal retirement age, if you wish to do so. You should contact ICI Pensions Services for more information.

Important message about potential scamming

Transferring out of the Fund
If you wish to transfer your Fund benefits into another pension arrangement, you should contact ICI Pensions Services.

As you are currently a member of a Defined Benefit (DB) pension arrangement, we strongly advise that you seek independent financial advice before you consider transferring your benefits.

If your transfer value is £30,000 or over, you will be required to take regulated financial advice first.

If you are a member whose marriage or civil partnership is being dissolved, your pension settlements and entitlements are generally handled through the courts. The following steps normally happen in relation to your pension:

1. You should ask ICI Pensions Services for a transfer value, which shows what benefits you’re entitled to from the Fund at that point. You can provide this transfer value to the court.
   
   
2. The court will determine the proportion of pension benefits, if any, that will be awarded to your ex-spouse or ex-civil partner. This is detailed in a Court Order.
   
   Note: the Trustee cannot take into account any interim or informal financial arrangements in respect of your pension benefits that are not detailed in a Court Order.
   
   
3. You should send the Court Order to ICI Pensions Services.
   
   
4. ICI Pensions Services will act upon the Court Order instruction and liaise with your ex-spouse or ex-civil partner about their proportion of the benefits.
   
   
5. ICI Pensions Services will then provide you with details of your new entitlement from the Fund.
   
   

Note: there are administration charges for carrying out this process – ask for a copy of charges from ICI Pensions Services.