Why the UK CDC pension code is being revoked in 2026
If you're new to pensions law, the word revoked can sound alarming. It suggests rules are being stripped away. But when we read this Order closely, that is not what is happening. The government is removing one code of practice used by The Pensions Regulator from 31 July 2026 because a replacement is due. The formal name is the Pensions Act 2004 (Code of Practice) (Revocation) Order 2026, published on legislation.gov.uk. It was made at 10.00 a.m. on 2 July 2026, laid before Parliament at 3.00 p.m. the same day, and signed for the Department for Work and Pensions by Torsten Bell, with consent from The Pensions Regulator's chief executive, Nausicaa Delfas.
The code being revoked is The Pensions Regulator's Code of Practice on authorisation and supervision of collective defined contribution schemes. According to the explanatory note, that code first took effect on 1 August 2022 and will stop applying in its current form on 31 July 2026. The Order applies in England and Wales and Scotland. So this is not a small internal memo. It is a formal legal step telling schemes, regulators and advisers that the old version of the guidance is on its way out.
To make sense of this, it helps to slow down. A code of practice is not the whole law. Think of it as the regulator's public guide to what compliant behaviour should look like in real cases. The law sets the powers and duties; the code helps explain how those duties are expected to work in practice. **What this means:** revoking a code does not automatically mean revoking regulation. It can mean the written guidance is being updated because the pension rules have moved on.
The schemes in question are collective defined contribution pensions, an area the explanatory note also describes through changes to collective money purchase scheme regulations. In simple terms, these are pension arrangements where money is managed collectively rather than each member being promised a fixed retirement income in the way a traditional defined benefit scheme would. You do not need to be a pensions specialist to spot why guidance matters here. When people save into a shared structure, the rules on authorisation and supervision have to be clear, because members, employers and trustees all need to know what standards the regulator expects.
The government's own explanation is direct. A new code of practice will be issued so it can include changes introduced by the Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Extension to Unconnected Multiple Employer Schemes and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2025, listed as S.I. 2025/1313. That title is a mouthful, but the teaching point is simple. The rules were widened in 2025 so regulatory oversight can also cover collective money purchase schemes involving multiple employers that are not connected to one another. If the scope of the schemes grows, the regulator's code has to grow with it.
This is why the story is better understood as replacement rather than retreat. The old code was written for the earlier version of the rules. Once the legal position changed, keeping the old text in place would risk leaving schemes with guidance that no longer fits the current system. **What it means for you:** when you see a statutory instrument like this, it helps to ask two questions. What is being removed, and what is being prepared to take its place? In this case, the answer is old guidance out, updated guidance in.
The explanatory note also says no full impact assessment was produced because no significant effect is expected for the private, voluntary or public sectors. That tells us ministers see this as a technical regulatory update, not a big policy shock for workers or employers. Even so, these short legal orders are worth paying attention to. They show how pension oversight is maintained behind the scenes: an old code is revoked, a new one is prepared, and the rulebook is kept in step with the law. If you're trying to build confidence with official documents, this is a good example of why the small print still matters.