Resignations. An incumbent can voluntarily resign their benefice to the bishop or archbishop either in person or by resignation deed. A resignation is not valid until the bishop or archbishop accepts it. The bishop or archbishop is not obliged to accept the resignation. Once a resignation is accepted it cannot be revoked. A bishop or archbishop can request a resignation to avoid scandal or legal action being taken. The Incumbents Resignation Acts enabled clergy who were permanently incapacitated to resign with pension provision. The Clergy Pensions (Older incumbents) Measure 1930 enabled older incumbents (born on or before 31 December 1871) to resign with pension provision.
Pensions. Until the nineteenth century, clerks in holy orders were not entitled to pensions. The Incumbents Resignation Act (1871) ruled that retirement due to incapacity of an incumbent who had held a benefice for seven years could be granted a pension from the revenues of that benefice. In 1886 the Clergy Pensions Institution was established to provide a small annuity through an assurance scheme. The Church of England Pension Board was established on 1 January 1927, taking over the provisions of the Clergy Pensions Institution, and provided a comprehensive system for clergy pensions based on compulsory contributions for those who had not at that time reached the age of 55. Pensions for those who were over the age of 55 at that time were covered by the Clergy Pensions (Older incumbents) Measure 1930. A pension scheme for clergy widows and dependants was set up in 1936 and a provision for supplementary pensions was established in 1946. Subsequent clergy pensions measures (1948, 1954, 1961, 1988) have extended the clergy pension entitlement to any clerk in holy orders, deaconess or licensed lay worker as a member of the scheme and makes provision for the payment of pension benefits to scheme members' widows, widowers and dependants.
