FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
STRATEGIC REPORT
GOVERNANCE
29 REINSURANCE continued In addition to the deposits received from reinsurers recognised within other financial liabilities (see note 27(b)), certain reinsurance arrangements give rise to deposits from reinsurers that are not included in the Consolidated statement of financial position of the Group as described below: • The Group has an agreement with two reinsurers whereby financial assets arising from the payment of reinsurance premiums, less the repayment of claims, in relation to specific treaties, are legally and physically deposited back with the Group. Although the funds are controlled by the Group, no future benefits accrue to the Group as any returns on the deposits are paid to reinsurers. Consequently, the deposits are not recognised as assets of the Group and the investment income they produce does not accrue to the Group. • The Group has an agreement with one reinsurer whereby assets equal to the reinsurer’s full obligation under the treaty are deposited into a ringfenced collateral account. The Group has first claim over these assets should the reinsurer default, but as the Group has no control over these funds and does not accrue any future benefit, this fund is not recognised as an asset of the Group. • The Group has an agreement with one reinsurer whereby assets equal to the reinsurer’s full obligation under the treaty are either deposited into a ringfenced collateral account of corporate bonds, or held under a funds withheld structure of Lifetime Mortgages. The latter are legally and physically held by the Group. Although the funds are managed by the Group (as the Group controls the investment of the asset), no future benefits accrue to the Group as returns on the assets are paid to reinsurers. Consequently, the lifetime mortgages are not recognised as assets of the Group and the investment income they produce does not accrue to the Group. The reinsurer also deposits cash into a bank account held legally by the Group to fund future lifetime mortgages but as this cash is ringfenced for issued lifetime mortgage quotes agreed by the reinsurer, it is also not recognised as an asset by the Group. 2021 £m 2020 £m Deposits held in trust 491.7 492.0 The Group is exposed to a minimal amount of reinsurance counterparty default risk in respect of the above arrangements and calculates a counterparty default reserve accordingly. At 31 December 2021, this reserve totalled £3.4m (2020: £3.6m).
30 INSURANCE AND OTHER PAYABLES
2021 £m 22.0 71.3 93.3
2020 £m 24.6 67.0 91.6
Payables arising from insurance and reinsurance contracts
Other payables
Total insurance and other payables
Other payables includes unsettled investment purchases. Insurance and other payables due in more than one year are £nil (2020: £nil).
31 COMMITMENTS Capital commitments The Group had no capital commitments as at 31 December 2021 (2020: £nil).
32 CONTINGENT LIABILITIES There are no contingent liabilities as at 31 December 2021 (2020: £nil).
33 FINANCIAL AND INSURANCE RISK MANAGEMENT This note presents information about the major financial and insurance risks to which the Group is exposed, and its objectives, policies and processes for their measurement and management. Financial risk comprises exposure to market, credit and liquidity risk. (a) Insurance risk The writing of long-term insurance contracts exposes the Group to insurance risk. The Group’s main insurance risk arises from adverse experience compared with the assumptions used in pricing products and valuing insurance liabilities, and in addition its reinsurance treaties may be terminated, not renewed, or renewed on terms less favourable than those under existing treaties. Insurance risk arises through exposure to longevity, mortality and morbidity and exposure to factors such as withdrawal levels and management and administration expenses. Individually underwritten GIfL are priced using assumptions about future longevity that are based on historic experience information, lifestyle and medical factors relevant to individual customers, and judgements about the future development of longevity improvements. In the event of an increase in longevity, the actuarial reserve required to make future payments to customers may increase. Loans secured by mortgages are used to match some of the liabilities arising from the sale of GIfL and DB business. In the event that early repayments in a given period are higher than anticipated, less interest will have accrued on the mortgages and the amount repayable will be less than assumed at the time of sale. In the event of an increase in longevity, although more interest will have accrued and the amount repayable will be greater than assumed at the time of the sale, the associated cash flows will be received later than had originally been anticipated. In addition, a general increase in longevity would have the effect of increasing the total amount repayable, which would increase the LTV ratio and could increase the risk of failing to be repaid in full as a consequence of the no-negative equity guarantee. There is also morbidity risk exposure as the contract ends when the customer moves into long-term care.
165
Powered by FlippingBook