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Statutory Requirements and Dividends Restrictions | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
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Statutory Requirements and Dividends Restrictions | Statutory Requirements and Dividends Restrictions As a holding company, Aspen Holdings relies on dividends and other distributions from its Operating Subsidiaries to provide cash flow to meet ongoing cash requirements, including any future debt service payments and other expenses, and to pay dividends, if any, to our preference and ordinary shareholders. Aspen Holdings must comply with the provisions of the Bermuda Companies Act 1981, as amended, (the “Companies Act”) regulating the payment of dividends and distributions. As at December 31, 2017, there were no restrictions under Bermuda law or the law of any other jurisdiction on the payment of dividends from retained earnings by Aspen Holdings. The ability of the Company’s Operating Subsidiaries to pay the Company dividends or other distributions is subject to the laws and regulations applicable to each jurisdiction, as well as the Operating Subsidiaries’ need to maintain capital requirements adequate to maintain their insurance and reinsurance operations and their financial strength ratings issued by independent rating agencies. The company law of England and Wales prohibits Aspen U.K. or AUL from declaring a dividend to its shareholders unless it has “profits available for distribution.” The determination of whether a company has profits available for distribution is based on its accumulated realized profits and other distributable reserves less its accumulated realized losses. While the U.K. insurance regulatory laws impose no statutory restrictions on a general insurer’s ability to declare a dividend, the rules of the Prudential Regulation Authority (the “PRA”) require each insurance company within its jurisdiction to maintain its solvency margin at all times. In line with common market practice for regulated institutions, the PRA previously requested that it be afforded with the opportunity to provide a “non-objection” prior to all future dividend payments made by Aspen U.K. In 2017, the PRA stated that they no longer routinely require Aspen U.K. to apply for a non-objection to dividends provided such dividend payment and Aspen U.K.’s resulting capital position are within Aspen U.K.’s board-approved solvency capital risk appetite. As at December 31, 2017, Aspen U.K. had an accumulated balance of retained losses of approximately $196.3 million and AUL had an accumulated balance of retained losses of approximately £35.9 million. In addition, Aspen U.K. held a capital contribution reserve of $470.0 million which, under certain circumstances, would also be distributable. Aspen Bermuda must comply with the provisions of the Companies Act regulating the payment of dividends and distributions. There were no significant restrictions under company law on the ability of Aspen Bermuda to pay dividends funded from its accumulated balances of retained income as at December 31, 2017. Aspen Bermuda may not in any financial year pay dividends which would exceed 25% of its total statutory capital and surplus, as shown on its statutory balance sheet in relation to the previous financial year, unless it files with the BMA a solvency affidavit at least seven days in advance. As at December 31, 2017, 25% of Aspen Bermuda’s statutory capital and surplus amounted to $448.3 million. Further, Aspen Bermuda must obtain the prior approval of the BMA before reducing by 15% or more its total statutory capital as set out in its previous year’s financial statements. Under both North Dakota and Texas law, insurance companies may only pay dividends out of earned surplus as distinguished from contributed surplus. As such, Aspen Specialty and AAIC could not pay a dividend as at December 31, 2017. Actual and required statutory capital and surplus for the principal operating subsidiaries of the Company, excluding its Lloyd’s syndicate, as at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 were estimated as follows:
|  | As at December 31, 2017
|  | U.S. |  | Bermuda |  | U.K.
|  | ($ in millions)
Required statutory capital and surplus |  | $ | 163.5 |  |  | $ | 1,146.7 |  |  | $ | 745.8 |
Statutory capital and surplus |  | $ | 645.5 |  |  | $ | 1,793.0 |  |  | $ | 888.6 |
|  | As at December 31, 2016
|  | U.S. |  | Bermuda |  | U.K.
|  | ($ in millions)
Required statutory capital and surplus |  | $ | 77.3 |  |  | $ | 1,259.4 |  |  | $ | 558.1 |
Statutory capital and surplus |  | $ | 598.3 |  |  | $ | 2,294.4 |  |  | $ | 970.3 |
AUL, as the sole corporate member of our Lloyd’s Syndicate, is required to maintain Funds at Lloyd’s of $451.8 million. As at December 31, 2017, AUL had total funds at Lloyd’s of $458.7 million of which $423.6 million was provided by Aspen Bermuda. The Bermuda Monetary Authority is the group supervisor of the Company. The laws and regulations of Bermuda require that the Company maintain a minimum amount of group statutory capital and surplus based on the enhanced capital requirement using the group standardized risk-based capital model of the Bermuda Monetary Authority. The Company is also subject to an early-warning level based on 120% of the enhanced capital requirement which may trigger additional reporting requirements or other enhanced oversight. The statutory capital requirements of our Operating Subsidiaries are set out above. To the extent that these requirements are met, we do not anticipate any dividend restrictions arising as a result of the Company's enhanced capital requirement.

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