Pension Reform Archives - Pension Policy International

27AugAugust 27, 2026

France. Pensions: François Hollande proposes a 63-year age, partial de-indexing, and a degree of capitalization

François Hollande unveils several measures to fundamentally reform the French pension system. The former president proposes a legal retirement age of 63 in 2028, a gradual increase in the contribution period, and a five-year cap on pension increases. In his manifesto , *Uniting: A New World, A New Left *, to be published on September 3, François Hollande argues that the pension reform issue will inevitably resurface after the 2027 presidential election. His first proposal is to set the legal...

August 27, 2026

NewsFrance, Pension Reform, Retirement Age

24AugAugust 24, 2026

Cyprus. Pension reform to bring increases for all retirees, minister says

All pensioners will receive increases under the government’s planned pension reform, with those on lower pensions set to benefit the most, Labour Minister Marinos Mousiouttas said on Sunday. In interviews with newspapers Phileleftheros and Kathimerini, Mousiouttas said the reform – the first major overhaul of the system since 1980 – was intended to create a fairer, more modern and sustainable pension system. Increases will be calculated according to factors including the number of years worked and contributions paid, with proportionally greater...

August 24, 2026

NewsAdequacy, Cyprus, Pension Reform

19AugAugust 19, 2026

Portugal considers automatic workplace pensions to boost retirement income

Workers in Portugal could be automatically enrolled in workplace pension plans under proposals aimed at strengthening retirement incomes and addressing growing pressure on the country’s public pension system. The government-appointed expert group studying the sustainability of Segurança Social – Portugal’s state social security and pension system – presented its final recommendations on Tuesday after around 18 months of work. The government received the report last month and has said it will consider its recommendations. One of its main proposals is an...

August 19, 2026

NewsPension Reform, Portugal

18AugAugust 18, 2026

Reform proposes ban on most benefits for foreign nationals in UK

Foreign nationals would be excluded from most benefits under a Reform UK government, the party has said. The ban, part of a proposed overhaul of Britain's benefits system, would include European Union (EU) nationals with settled status in the UK, meaning a renegotiation of the UK's Brexit deal with the EU. In a speech on Monday, the party's economy spokesman, Robert Jenrick, said: "The British taxpayer is acting as the welfare state for the world. That's unfair, we all know it." Reform...

August 18, 2026

NewsPension Reform, UK

18AugAugust 18, 2026

Restoring dignity: How pension reforms are reviving Zimbabwe’s retirement system

Every month-end, Mr Mxolisi Dube (72) from Makokoba suburb in Bulawayo arrives at his local bank before sunrise. Long before the doors open, he joins dozens of fellow pensioners waiting patiently to collect what should be the reward for a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice. Clutching a worn leather wallet, the retired foundry worker waits with quiet hope that this month’s pension will stretch a little further than the last. For years, however, opening that wallet brought more despair than...

August 18, 2026

NewsPension Reform, Zimbabwe

14AugAugust 14, 2026

German pensioners facing uphill battle to make ends meet as economic stagnation bites

Millions of pensioners in Germany are struggling to make ends meet due to fixed incomes, rising costs of housing, utilities, and healthcare, and inadequate retirement savings as the country undergoes a period of economic stagnation. In Germany, the risk of poverty generally does not refer to extreme poverty as seen in some developing countries, but rather to relative poverty, which is measured in relation to the median income of the country’s total population. According to the European Union Statistics on Income...

August 14, 2026

NewsGermany, Pension Reform

24JulJuly 24, 2026

When States Break Promises: Informal Insurance Responses to Pension Reform

By Alina Malkova When governments expand pension systems, families reduce intergenerational transfers. This paper tests the reverse: do families substitute back toward informal insurance when governments renege on pension promises? I study Russia’s 2014 funded pension freeze, which eliminated future contributions for workers born after 1967, using RLMS panel data (2010–2023) and a cohort difference-in-differences design. Affected households increased financial transfers to adult children by 3.5 percentage points under a conservative age×year fixed effects specification and by 6.5 percentage points...

July 24, 2026

Articles, System Characterization2026, Pension Reform, Russia

24JulJuly 24, 2026

UK. Torsten Bell reappointment welcomed as pension reforms gather pace

Torsten Bell’s reappointment to his dual role at the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Treasury has been broadly welcomed by the pensions industry. However, experts have reiterated the need for stability and a sharper focus on delivering reforms. Bell will remain pensions minister following the government reshuffle confirmed on 22 July, avoiding what former pensions minister Steve Webb described as “a third new pensions minister in barely two years”. Webb, now a partner at consultancy LCP, said frequent ministerial changes...

July 24, 2026

NewsPension Reform, Regulation, UK

09JulJuly 9, 2026

Germany Plans to Implement Proposed Pension Reforms by the End of 2026

The commission’s recommendations are, for now, political proposals. Concrete implementation—such as through legislative procedures—is still pending. Nevertheless, the proposed key points are notable because they may affect typical human resources and compensation structures—and because the federal government has sent a clear signal that it intends to implement all proposals. At the heart of a potential reform is the goal of placing the statutory pension system on a more stable long-term financial footing and broadening Germany’s overall retirement savings framework beyond...

July 9, 2026

NewsGermany, Pension Reform

02JulJuly 2, 2026

German coalition agrees on sweeping reform package in key breakthrough

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s ruling coalition has unveiled a sweeping package of tax, labour and pension reforms aimed at reviving Europe’s largest economy and countering a surge by the far right. The “Programme for Revival and Employment” announced on Thursday includes about 10 billion euros ($11.4bn) in annual income tax relief targeted at lower and middle-income earners, taking effect from January 1, 2027. The 34 reform measures also include an overhaul of the creaking pension system, tougher rules for employees’ sick...

July 2, 2026

NewsGermany, Pension Reform

August 2026

France. Pensions: François Hollande proposes a 63-year age, partial de-indexing, and a degree of capitalization

Cyprus. Pension reform to bring increases for all retirees, minister says

Portugal considers automatic workplace pensions to boost retirement income

Reform proposes ban on most benefits for foreign nationals in UK

Restoring dignity: How pension reforms are reviving Zimbabwe’s retirement system

German pensioners facing uphill battle to make ends meet as economic stagnation bites

July 2026

When States Break Promises: Informal Insurance Responses to Pension Reform

UK. Torsten Bell reappointment welcomed as pension reforms gather pace

Germany Plans to Implement Proposed Pension Reforms by the End of 2026

German coalition agrees on sweeping reform package in key breakthrough