UK's Harwich Haven Authority Pension Fund finalises £45m buy-in with Royal London

Harwich Haven Authority Pension Fund has completed a £45m full buy-in with Royal London, securing the benefits of 170 members.

The transaction, which was completed in November 2025, covered 125 pensioners and dependants, as well as around 45 deferred members.

The Essex-based pension fund appointed LCP as its risk transfer adviser, and LCP also carried out financial strength and insurer administration due diligence. In addition, Gowling and CMS providing legal advice.

“We are delighted to have secured this milestone in the fund’s journey, working collaboratively with the authority,” said Harwich Haven Authority Pension Fund chair of the trustee board, Dr Karen Purnell.

“Royal London was selected following an extensive due diligence process and receipt of advice from LCP and our professional advisers, and the strength of their overall proposal.” Purnell added.

The buy-in was executed through LCP’s streamlined buy-in service, which simplifies the process for smaller schemes.

LCP partner, Tim Gilbert, explained: “Our streamlined buy-in process allowed the trustees to take advantage of attractive pricing with certainty of contractual terms usually reserved for larger schemes. This was key to an efficient execution process.

“This transaction with Royal London demonstrates the competition in the market for smaller schemes that approach the market in the right way.”

Royal London BPA origination manager, Vic Smith, added: “Working with LCP through their streamlined buy-in service made for a highly efficient and enjoyable process.

“Meeting with the trustees, authority and their advisers helped to bring our mutual-led proposition to life.

"Our pre-negotiated contractual terms enabled us to focus our efforts on providing the trustees and the authority – an existing wider Royal London client – with a smooth and personal experience.”

This article originally appeared in our sister publication Pensions Age.



Share Story:

Recent Stories


Podcast: Stepping up to the challenge
In the latest European Pensions podcast, Natalie Tuck talks to PensionsEurope chair, Jerry Moriarty, about his new role and the European pension policy agenda

Podcast: The benefits of private equity in pension fund portfolios
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, in which stock markets have seen increased volatility, combined with global low interest rates has led to alternative asset classes rising in popularity. Private equity is one of the top runners in this category, and for good reason.

In this podcast, Munich Private Equity Partners Managing Director, Christopher Bär, chats to European Pensions Editor, Natalie Tuck, about the benefits private equity investments can bring to pension fund portfolios and the best approach to take.

Mitigating risk
BNP Paribas Asset Management’s head of pension solutions, Julien Halfon, discusses equity hedging with Laura Blows

Advertisement