Press releases
Legal & General announces £385 million buy-in transaction with the Northern Gas Networks Pension Scheme
Legal & General Assurance Society Limited (“Legal & General”) today announces that it has agreed a £385 million buy-in transaction with the Northern Gas Networks Pension Scheme (“the Scheme”), securing the pension benefits of more than 600 retirees.
10 Dec 2020
Northern Gas Networks (NGN) is the gas distributor for the North of England, transporting gas to 2.7 million homes and businesses across the North East, most of Yorkshire and northern Cumbria.
The Scheme is an existing client of Legal & General, with Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) having managed a proportion of the Scheme’s assets since the Scheme was established in 2005. This transaction is the Scheme’s first buy-in policy and covers around two thirds of its members.
By being prepared, and able to move quickly, the Trustee and NGN were able to take advantage of favourable market conditions to establish the buy-in. Legal & General’s price lock, while the legal agreement was progressed, gave the Trustee a high degree of price and execution certainty prior to completion of the transaction.
Rachel Cutts, Director, Legal & General Retirement Institutional: "We are delighted to have completed this transaction, which provides further financial security to the members of the Northern Gas Networks Pension Scheme. This transaction demonstrates that by having a clear objective and flexible timescales, trustees can move quickly and secure their members’ benefits when favourable pricing is available. It builds on the Legal & General Group’s existing relationship with the Scheme and we look forward to continuing to work with the Scheme in the coming years."
Further information
Margrit Williams
Director of External Engagement
Legal & General Capital
Notes to editors
Established in 1836, Legal & General is one of the UK's leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with £1.2 trillion in total assets under management1 of which 40% is international. We have a unique and highly synergistic business model, which continues to drive strong returns. Legal & General provides powerful asset origination and management capabilities directly to clients, which also underpin our leading retirement and protection solutions. We are a leading international player in Pension Risk Transfer, in UK and US life insurance, and in UK workplace pensions and retirement income. Our purpose is to improve the lives of our customers and create value for our shareholders. Through inclusive capitalism, we are investing in long-term assets, such as real estate and infrastructure, that can help build a better society for the future.
1Data as at 31 December 2023.
Legal & General Retirement Institutional (LGRI) works with trustees and sponsoring companies of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes of all sizes to settle their pension obligations and secure scheme members’ benefits, through a full range of buy-ins, buyouts and other de-risking solutions. Our Client Services’ 12-month rolling Net Promoter Score (NPS) is above +70, which is widely regarded as being at a “world class” level. Legal & General is the UK’s longest-standing active bulk annuity provider.
Our UK Retirement annuity book stands at an estimated £86.1 billion at 31 December 2023. Across the group over £30 billion is invested in direct investments that deliver positive social and environmental impacts, such as clean energy and affordable housing. Legal & General provides income and pension security to more than a million retirement customers around the world.