Britain’s company pension schemes, grappling with ageing former employees and low investment returns, may start to transfer their assets into new so-called superfunds in the coming weeks, according to people involved in the process.

Reader’s Digest in the UK collapsed into administration today after it failed to secure regulatory backing for a pension scheme funding deal.

McVitie’s and Jacob’s owner United Biscuits agreed today to a £1.6bn (€2.4bn) takeover by a consortium made up of two private equity firms.