CETV for Divorce: What Form E Really Needs for Pensions

If you are filling in Form E, do not treat a pension annual statement as the final answer. Form E asks for a recent cash equivalent for each pension arrangement, or clear evidence that you have requested it and when it is expected.

Pensions are easy to underestimate in divorce because they do not feel like money you can spend today. In many cases they are still one of the largest assets in the marriage, and sometimes worth more than the family home. The practical job is not to guess what the pension "feels" worth. It is to disclose the right evidence, in the right section, early enough that it does not hold up the timetable.

This guide is for financial remedy cases in England and Wales. It is general information, not legal, financial or pension advice.

What Form E Actually Asks For

Pensions go in section 2.13 of Form E: "Pensions and Pension Protection Fund (PPF) Compensation". You need to give details of all pension rights and PPF compensation entitlements, including prospective entitlements.

For each pension, Form E asks for details such as:

• the name and address of the pension arrangement or PPF Board;
• your National Insurance number;
• the pension reference number;
• the type of scheme, for example occupational, personal, final salary, money purchase, additional state pension, PPF or other;
• the date the cash equivalent, PPF compensation valuation or additional state pension valuation was calculated;
• whether the pension is already in payment or drawdown;
• the cash equivalent quotation, additional state pension valuation or PPF valuation.

The official form calls this a CE, short for cash equivalent. In everyday divorce discussions people often say CETV, meaning Cash Equivalent Transfer Value. For most practical purposes, the task is the same: ask the pension provider or scheme administrator for the cash equivalent figure needed for divorce disclosure.

CETV vs Fund Value: The Common Mistake

An annual pension statement might show a fund value, projected retirement income, transfer value, benefits statement or online dashboard figure. Those are not all the same thing.

What you are looking at	Why it may not be enough for Form E
Annual statement	It may be out of date, projected, or not calculated on the basis Form E needs.
Online pension pot value	It may show the current fund value but not charges, guarantees, reductions or scheme-specific transfer rules.
Defined benefit annual pension	An income promise such as GBP 12,000 a year is not a capital value. You usually need a cash equivalent to compare it with other assets.
Cash equivalent / CETV	This is the figure Form E is usually driving you toward, supported by a recent statement from the scheme.

For a defined contribution pension, the cash equivalent may be close to the fund value, but you should still request the proper figure. For a defined benefit or final salary pension, the difference can be substantial. A pension promising income for life can have a capital value that is not obvious from the annual income figure.

Which Pensions Should You Include?

Form E tells you to include membership of all pension plans or schemes. That means you should think beyond the pension from your current job.

• current workplace pensions;
• old workplace pensions from previous jobs;
• personal pensions and SIPPs;
• defined benefit or final salary schemes;
• public sector pensions such as NHS, Teachers, Civil Service, police, armed forces or local government schemes;
• FSAVC schemes separate from your employer's main scheme;
• PPF compensation entitlements;
• additional state pension rights where relevant.

Form E says to exclude the Basic State Pension. It does not simply exclude everything connected with state pension rights. Section 2.13 specifically refers to Additional State Pension, SERPS and State Second Pension. If you are unsure whether this applies to you, check the official Form E notes or get advice.

How Recent Does the Pension Valuation Need to Be?

The Form E notes say that if you have a pension valuation, you must attach it, but you may only use it if it will not be more than one year old at the date of the first appointment.

That matters because people often find an old statement and assume it will do. If it will be too old by the hearing date, write to the provider or administrator and ask for an up-to-date valuation. Keep a copy of the request and any reply.

How To Request a CETV for Divorce

Do this as soon as Form E is likely to be needed. Pensions are one of the document requests most likely to slow everything else down.

1. List every pension you can identify. Check old payslips, old employers, annual statements, emails from providers, government Gateway records and your current workplace benefits portal.
2. Contact each provider or scheme administrator. Use the secure portal if there is one, but save a copy of the message or confirmation.
3. Ask for the right thing. Do not just ask for "my latest pension statement" unless the provider confirms it contains the cash equivalent needed for divorce disclosure.
4. Record the date requested. You may need this if the valuation has not arrived by the Form E deadline.
5. Upload or attach the statement when it arrives. Use the valuation date shown on the document, not the date you opened the email.

You can use wording like this:

Please provide a recent cash equivalent / CETV statement for my pension arrangement for divorce financial disclosure and Form E purposes. Please include the valuation date, scheme type, pension reference, whether the pension is in payment or drawdown, and any note about reductions or restrictions affecting the quoted cash equivalent.

If the scheme is a PPF case, ask for the PPF compensation valuation. If the issue is Additional State Pension, follow the relevant DWP route for a valuation and keep proof of the application date.

What If the CETV Has Not Arrived?

Do not invent a figure and hope to fix it later. Form E tells you what to do if a valuation is not available: give the estimated date when it will be available and attach a copy of your letter or request to the pension company, administrator or PPF Board.

A sensible Form E entry usually records:

• the pension provider or scheme name;
• the reference number, if known;
• the type of scheme, if known;
• that the cash equivalent has been requested;
• the request date;
• the provider's expected response date, if they gave one;
• that the valuation will follow once received.

Attach the request and any provider reply. That is much better than leaving the pension blank, especially if the pension is likely to be material.

Why Public Sector and Final Salary Pensions Need Extra Care

Defined benefit pensions, including many public sector schemes, are not just investment pots. They are promises to pay income under scheme rules. A CETV gives a capital figure, but it may not tell the whole fairness story.

Extra care is sensible where:

• one spouse has a defined benefit or final salary pension and the other has mainly cash, property or defined contribution pensions;
• the pension is already in payment or drawdown;
• there is a large age gap between spouses;
• one person wants to offset pension claims against the family home;
• there are public sector, armed forces, police, NHS, Teachers or local government pensions;
• there are overseas pensions, SIPPs with unusual assets, PPF compensation or tax protection issues;
• ill health, early retirement or protected pension age may affect value;
• the pension value is large enough that a rough assumption could change the settlement materially.

In those cases, a solicitor or pension expert may suggest a report from a pensions on divorce expert, often called a PODE. The point is not just to know today's cash equivalent. It may be to compare retirement income, assess pension sharing options, or work out whether an offset against housing equity is fair.

Pension Sharing, Attachment and Offsetting

Once the pensions are properly disclosed, the settlement may deal with them in different ways.

Approach	What it means in plain English
Pension sharing	Part of one person's pension is carved out under a pension sharing order and credited to the other person, usually into a pension arrangement.
Pension attachment	One person receives a share of pension income or lump sum when the pension is paid. This is less clean and depends on future payment events.
Offsetting	One person keeps more pension while the other keeps more of a different asset, often equity in the home.

The risky one to do casually is offsetting. GBP 1 of pension is not the same as GBP 1 of cash or house equity. Pension money may be locked away until retirement age, taxed when drawn, affected by scheme rules, or worth more or less depending on life expectancy and inflation protection. A simple swap can be unfair if the numbers are not adjusted properly.

You can model rough settlement scenarios with the Divvio divorce settlement calculator, but do not treat a calculator as a pension valuation or legal advice.

A Practical Checklist Before You Finish Form E

• Have you listed every current and old pension?
• Have you requested a cash equivalent / CETV for each pension?
• Is each valuation less than one year old by the date of the first appointment?
• Have you entered the valuation date, not just today's date?
• Have you said whether each pension is in payment or drawdown?
• If a valuation is missing, have you attached the request and stated when it is expected?
• Have you considered whether a defined benefit, public sector or high-value pension needs expert input?
• Have you avoided trading pension for house equity on a simple pound-for-pound basis without advice?

Official Sources Worth Checking

Use the current official documents alongside any guide, including this one:

• GOV.UK Form E and Form E notes
• MoneyHelper guidance on dividing pensions on divorce or dissolution

FAQ

Is a CETV the same as the pension fund value?

Not always. For defined contribution pensions it may be similar, but you should still request the cash equivalent figure needed for Form E. For defined benefit or final salary schemes, the annual pension figure and cash equivalent can be very different.

Do I need a CETV for every pension?

You should request a recent cash equivalent or appropriate valuation for each pension arrangement that must be disclosed. If you have more than one pension, Form E expects the information for each one.

What if my provider says the CETV will take weeks or months?

Keep the reply. In Form E, give the estimated date it will be available and attach evidence that you requested it. Do not leave the pension out just because the statement has not arrived.

Can I use last year's pension statement?

Only if it is the right type of valuation and it will not be more than one year old at the date of the first appointment. If it will be too old, request an up-to-date valuation.

Do I include the State Pension?

Form E excludes the Basic State Pension but includes Additional State Pension, SERPS and State Second Pension where relevant. If you are unsure which state pension rights apply to you, check the official notes or get advice.

Can we just ignore pensions if we both agree?

Be careful. Pensions can be one of the largest assets in the case. Ignoring them can produce a settlement that looks workable now but leaves one person exposed in retirement. If pensions are material, get proper advice before giving up a claim.