Defined benefit plans may be unfunded, or they may be wholly or partly funded by contributions by KTB, and sometimes its employees, into a branch of KTB, or a fund, that is legally separate from the reporting branch of KTB and from which the employee benefits are paid.
The payment of funded benefits when they fall due depends not only on the financial position and the investment performance of the fund but also on KTB’s ability (and willingness) to make good any shortfall in the fund’s assets. Therefore, KTB is, in substance, underwriting the actuarial and investment risks associated with the plan. Consequently, the expense recognised for a defined benefit plan is not necessarily the amount of the contribution due for the period.