Pension changes in 2008 Budget

beugny17

My OH retires next month. The sum total of her pension pots exceeds the limit for cash payments under the triviality commutation rules. Unfortunately she has one small isolated pension pot from a brief employment in the 1990’s which she cannot access because the pension provider will not offer an annuity for the small sum involved (under £1000).
In the 2008 Budget, the Chancellor made some changes to the pension rules which will apparently allow a small isolated pot (under £2000) to be taken in cash even though the policyholder may be receiving income from other, larger, pensions. This seems to be the answer to her problem but I have been told that the new rules will not apply until after the 2008 Finance Bill has been approved and passed into law. Can anyone tell me how long this is likely to take?
When the Chancellor increases the duty on petrol, beer, cigarettes, etc., the changes usually happen immediately but it seems that trivial matters such as pensions have a much lower priority. The sum involved may be small but the principle is not!