8. Pension and Retirement Plans

The Company’s continuing operations has defined benefit and defined contribution plans in the U.K. and in the U.S. The Company’s discontinued operations had a defined benefit and defined contribution plan in Germany, which was assumed by Reply AG in its acquisition of the Company’s operations in Germany (see Note 12 below). In the U.K., the Company provides defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans for some of its employees. In the U.S., the Company provides benefits through supplemental retirement plans to certain former employees. The U.S. supplemental retirement plans have life insurance policies which are not plan assets but were purchased by the Company as a vehicle to fund the costs of the plan. The Company also provides for officer death benefits through post-retirement plans to certain officers of the Company in the U.S. All of the Company’s defined benefit plans are closed to newly hired employees and have been since September 2009.

The Company funds its pension plans in amounts sufficient to meet the requirements set forth in applicable employee benefits laws and local tax laws. Liabilities for amounts in excess of these funding levels are accrued and reported in the consolidated balance sheets.

The Company’s pension plan in the U.K. is the only plan with plan assets. The plan assets consist of an investment in a commingled fund which in turn comprises a diversified mix of assets including corporate equity securities, government securities and corporate debt securities.

The components of net periodic benefit costs related to the U.S. and U.K. plans are as follows:


	Three Months Ended June 30,
	2019						2018
	U.K.		U.S.		Total		U.K.		U.S.		Total
	(Amounts in thousands)
Pension:
Interest cost	$	91	$	6	$	97	$	93	$	7	$	100
Expected return on plan assets		(76)		—		(76)		(77)		—		(77)
Amortization of:
Amortization of net gain (loss)		37		(1)		36		45		(1)		44
Net periodic benefit cost from continuing operations		52		5		57		61		6		67
Net periodic benefit cost from discontinued operations		—		—		—		52		—		52
Net periodic benefit cost	$	52	$	5	$	57	$	113	$	6	$	119

Post Retirement:
Service cost	$	—	$	14	$	14	$	—	$	10	$	10
Interest cost		—		9		9		—		12		12
Amortization of net loss		—		(4)		(4)		—		(4)		(4)
Net periodic cost	$	—	$	19	$	19	$	—	$	18	$	18


	Nine Months Ended June 30,
	2019						2018
	U.K.		U.S.		Total		U.K.		U.S.		Total
	(Amounts in thousands)
Pension:
Interest cost	$	274	$	18	$	292	$	280	$	20	$	300
Expected return on plan assets		(231)		—		(231)		(231)		—		(231)
Amortization of net gain (loss)		113		(3)		110		133		(1)		132
Net periodic benefit cost from continuing operations		156		15		171		182		19		201
Net periodic benefit cost from discontinued operations		—		—		—		158		—		158
Net periodic benefit cost	$	156	$	15	$	171	$	340	$	19	$	359

Post Retirement:
Service cost	$	—	$	31	$	31	$	—	$	32	$	32
Interest cost		—		35		35		—		35		35
Amortization of net loss		—		(13)		(13)		—		(14)		(14)
Net periodic cost	$	—	$	53	$	53	$	—	$	53	$	53

The fair value of the assets held by the U.K. pension plan by asset category are as follows:


	Fair Values as of
	June 30, 2019								September 30, 2018
	Fair Value Measurements Using Inputs Considered as								Fair Value Measurements Using Inputs Considered as
Asset Category	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
	(Amounts in thousands)
Cash on deposit	$	369	$	369	$	—	$	—	$	36	$	36	$	—	$	—
Pooled funds		8,204		8,204		—		—		8,234		8,234		—		—
Total plan assets	$	8,573	$	8,573	$	—	$	—	$	8,270	$	8,270	$	—	$	—