Pension and Retirement Plans

The Company has defined benefit and defined contribution plans in the United Kingdom, Germany and the U.S. In the United Kingdom and Germany, the Company provides defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans for the majority of its employees. In the U.S., the Company provides benefits through supplemental retirement plans to certain current and former employees. The domestic 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. Domestically, the Company also provides for officer death benefits through post-retirement plans to certain officers. All of the Company’s defined benefit plans are closed to newly hired employees and have been for the two years ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 and for the six months ended March 31, 2015.

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 United Kingdom 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 international plans are as follows:



	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
	2015									2014
	Foreign			U.S.			Total			Foreign			U.S.			Total
	(Amounts in thousands)
Pension:
Service cost	$	13		$	—		$	13		$	12		$	—		$	12
Interest cost	155			13			168			193			17			210
Expected return on plan assets	(104		)	—			(104		)	(117		)	—			(117		)
Amortization of:
Prior service gain	—			—			—			—			—			—
Amortization of net gain	49			(1		)	48			23			(2		)	21
Net periodic benefit cost	$	113		$	12		$	125		$	111		$	15		$	126

Post Retirement:
Service cost	$	—		$	9		$	9		$	—		$	2		$	2
Interest cost	—			11			11			—			11			11
Amortization of net gain	—			(13		)	(13		)	—			(36		)	(36		)
Net periodic cost (benefit)	$	—		$	7		$	7		$	—		$	(23	)	$	(23	)


	For the Six Months Ended March 31,
	2015									2014
	Foreign			U.S.			Total			Foreign			U.S.			Total
	(Amounts in thousands)
Pension:
Service cost	$	28		$	—		$	28		$	23		$	—		$	23
Interest cost	320			26			346			383			34			417
Expected return on plan assets	(212		)	—			(212		)	(232		)	—			(232		)
Amortization of:
Prior service gain	—			—			—			—			—			—
Amortization of net gain	102			(2		)	100			46			(4		)	42
Net periodic benefit cost	$	238		$	24		$	262		$	220		$	30		$	250

Post Retirement:
Service cost	$	—		$	17		$	17		$	—		$	5		$	5
Interest cost	—			22			22			—			22			22
Amortization of net gain	—			(25		)	(25		)	—			(72		)	(72		)
Net periodic cost (benefit)	$	—		$	14		$	14		$	—		$	(45	)	$	(45	)