Royal London plans to cut hundreds of IT jobs and shift technology work to India under an outsourcing deal with IBM, according to sources, with redundancies expected before Christmas. The insurance and pensions giant has confirmed the IBM partnership, but has not confirmed how many UK roles will go.

What staff were told

Sources said Royal London's chief technology officer, James Sandell, told IT staff in September that the company was partnering with IBM to outsource a substantial portion of its technology operations. A consultation process was expected to follow, and staff are now braced for redundancies by the end of December.

What the company confirms

A Royal London spokesperson told The Register: "Royal London has appointed IBM as its strategic technology infrastructure partner as it continues to develop its technology strategy. The partnership will give Royal London access to IBM's specialist capability, scale and experience." The company did not say how many UK IT roles it would retain, or whether IBM would move work to India.

How many jobs are at risk

The exact number of jobs at risk remains unclear. One Glassdoor review posted on 6 October claims that hundreds of positions in the company's technology operations division are being eliminated. Royal London replied to the review, acknowledging staff concerns about the changes, though it did not comment on the claims about outsourcing and redundancies.

Profits rose as cuts loom

The planned cuts follow rising profits. Royal London reported adjusted group operating profit of £187 million in the first half of 2026, up 13 per cent year on year. For employees facing redundancy before Christmas, the benefits of that success may be somewhat harder to appreciate.