Smiths completes landmark £760m pension scheme buy-in

Smiths, a leading industrial engineering company, today announces that the Smiths Industries Pension Scheme (‘SIPS’, or ‘the Scheme’) has completed a £760 million buy-in transaction with M&G. This bulk annuity transaction, completed in July 2026, secures the benefits of more than 10,000 members and means that all c.17,000 members of the Scheme are now fully insured across five annuity policies with the Prudential Assurance Company, M&G’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Canada Life, and Pension Insurance Corporation. 

A bulk annuity buy in is an insurance policy purchased by the Trustee from an insurer. The Trustee was able to secure this bulk annuity buy-in transaction using the Scheme’s existing assets and no additional contributions were required from Smiths.

The Scheme, first established in 1972, is an amalgamation of over thirty distinct sections representing historic Smiths businesses including EIS, Graseby, Hick Hargreaves and Flexibox, and is the largest defined benefit pension scheme sponsored by Smiths. 

This transaction follows the successful buyout of Smiths other principal UK defined benefit pension scheme, the TI Group Pension Scheme, which completed a £900 million buyout in May. The buyout of this scheme, which represents historic Smiths businesses such as TI, Dowty, Lapmaster and Francis Shaw, means that benefits for all c.15,500 members of this scheme are now fully insured and paid directly by Aviva, Legal & General, Pension Insurance Corporation and Rothesay.

These transactions are a key part of Smiths ongoing strategy to de-risk its legacy obligations and come during an important year for the company. As Smiths celebrates its 175th anniversary, it has completed the sales of Smiths Interconnect and Smiths Detection, marking the completion of its strategic transformation and establishing Smiths as a focused industrial technology company specialising in flow control and thermal solutions.

Julian Fagge, Chief Financial Officer, said: “The completion of these transactions marks an important milestone in enhancing our balance sheet and demonstrates our commitment to the responsible management of our legacy obligations. These transactions provide greater financial security for our scheme members, removes pension risk and future cash funding requirements and reduces balance sheet volatility. This improved financial flexibility strengthens free cash flow and, together with the completion of our strategic transformation, further supports our repositioning as a focused industrial engineering company.”

Simon Powell, Pensions Director at Smiths, said: “I am proud to have supported our trustees in completing these landmark bulk annuity transactions. The successful completion of these deals is a testament to the expertise, diligence and collaboration of the Smiths pensions team, our trustees and everyone involved. It reinforces our ongoing commitment to protect the long-term security of our members’ benefits and ensures long-term financial stability to Smiths." 

Nicholas Godden, Chair of the Trustee of Smiths Industries Pension Scheme, said: “Completing this £760 million buy-in with M&G is an important milestone for the Smiths Industries Pension Scheme and excellent news for our members. All members of the Scheme are now covered by an insurance policy, further improving the long-term security of their benefits while leaving their benefit entitlements unchanged.”

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