Big Four firm KPMG has issued commentary on the publication by the PRA of PS10/24, the final set of rules for the UK version of Solvency II.
Commenting on this, KPMG UK head of insurance, Huw Evans, said: “This is a case of evolution, not revolution. These rules ensure a more distinct UK Solvency II regime with some greater flexibility to invest in long-term assets such as infrastructure. Alongside this, are more complex rules policing the Matching Adjustment mechanism.
“The PRA’s creation of Solvency UK has made improvements that will work better for the UK than the original regime. With the EU having also made changes to Solvency II, there is nothing in the final UK version that would prevent it being deemed ‘equivalent’ to the EU’s regime in due course.
“This final set of rule changes to Solvency II will only affect life insurance and insurers selling individual or group protection products in the UK that use the Matching Adjustment mechanism now or in the future.”
KPMG UK insurance partner, James Isden, added: “Insurers will welcome the new Matching Adjustment regime starting earlier on 30th June and will appreciate that the PRA did not delay publication of these much-anticipated rules because of the General Election.
“While the new rules will allow greater investment in assets with ‘highly predictable’ cash flows, the reporting, calibration and attestation requirements that will come with it are still onerous, especially for smaller insurers. Insurers who write group income protection will welcome the inclusion of in-payment group policies within the MA regime.”
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By GlobalDataKPMG EMA FS Regulatory Insights Centre insurance prudential regulation sector head, Alisa Dolgova, concluded: “The PRA has been given significant new powers to police how insurers use the Matching Adjustment. The extent to which regulators use all the tools at their disposal to oversee use of the MA will partly determine whether these reforms achieve the stated objective of the Government to have a more flexible and internationally competitive regime.”
