June 2026

Spain. AIReF confirms that the pension reform does not guarantee sustainability

The Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF) maintains that the approved pension reform does not guarantee long-term financial viability. The system survives now, but the future is uncertain and the economic situation is becoming more complicated. The new AIReF report, presented on May 30, 2026, updates forecasts for the 2022-2050 period and confirms that the deficit and public debt will increase due to the impact of an aging population and insufficient measures. Formal compliance with the spending rule but with red flags The...

May 2026

Belgium approves controversial wage index reform and pension changes

Belgium’s federal parliament has approved a controversial package of budget measures, including the new “centenindex” system that will limit automatic wage and benefit increases for some workers and pensioners. The measures were passed late on Thursday night after months of political debate and delays. The government says the reforms are needed to reduce Belgium’s budget deficit and keep pensions affordable in the long term. For many expats and newcomers to Belgium, the most important change is the centenindex. Belgium normally links...

UK. Triple lock row intensifies as major pension reforms take effect

Triple lock under threat as new pension law comes into force The Pensions Schemes Act 2026, now law, aims to simplify and strengthen pension provision through measures like automatic consolidation of small pots, creation of large-scale 'megafunds', a standardised value-for-money framework, and legal duties for retirement advice. Ministers argue these changes could add up to £29,000 to the average pension pot and benefit more than 20 million workers, with some provisions phased in over several years. However, former pensions minister...

Chile’s Pension Reform: A Good Idea Running Out of Chances

By Dr. Arturo Cifuentes Original ideas seldom get a second chance to be implemented successfully. The Chilean pension system is one of the few exceptions. To grasp how much is at stake in the coming months—a third opportunity might never happen—we need to go back to its origins and identify the key events that shaped its evolution. The Chilean pension system was the brainchild of José Piñera, who, as minister of labor and social security, conceived its basic architecture in 1981. The...

Spain. Pension spending marks a new high of 14,366 million in May, 6.1% more year-on-year

Social Security has allocated in this month of May a historic disbursement of 14,365.8 million euros to pay the ordinary payroll of contributory pensions, which represents an increase of 6.1% compared to the same period in 2025, as communicated this Tuesday by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations. This payroll incorporates the revaluation of pensions approved by the Government for 2026. In general, the increase applied is 2.7%, in line with the average CPI recorded between December 2024...

Lithuania’s Second-Pillar Exits Expose Pension Saving Gap

About 40 percent of participants in Lithuania’s second-pillar pension saving system left the scheme in the first quarter of 2026. The figure does not by itself show that residents have given up on preparing for retirement, but it raises a practical question: will the returned money become part of a long-term plan, or be absorbed into short-term spending? This international adaptation is based on a BNS-published comment by Giedrius Rimša, president of the Lithuanian Life Insurance Companies Association, and survey...

Bulgaria. Regulator Proposes Higher Pension Fund Reserves, Stronger Safeguards for Insured Persons

Bulgaria's Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) has approved at first reading draft ordinances on higher reserve requirements for pension insurance companies and stricter rules for protecting insured persons' funds, the regulator said on Tuesday. The changes follow up on amendments to the Social Insurance Code and concern the introduction of multi-funds in supplementary pension insurance. Higher reserves to guarantee contributions The most significant change concerns higher capital coverage requirements due to the continued growth of assets managed by pension funds. Currently, the gross...

Australia. Lessons from OECD pension reforms that could foreshadow local changes

OECD reforms spotlight rising retirement ages, contribution adequacy, and decumulation challenges, shaping Australia’s superannuation policy agenda and future debates. Australia’s superannuation system regularly earns international praise for its scale and sustainability, but a survey of recent pension reforms across OECD countries suggests the policy agenda is far from settled. From rising retirement ages to mandated decumulation products, the changes taking place in peer economies offer a preview of debates likely to intensify locally. Rising retirement ages are the norm The most consistent...

Analysis of climate risk reporting across UK pension schemes

By XPS Group 2025 has shown that climate change is no longer a distant risk. It's a force that's already shaping economies, societies and investment markets. While government policy remains fragmented, UK pension schemes remain exposed to the risks of worsening climate outcomes, and to opportunities that arise from a faster transition to a green economy. Our fourth annual Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) review examines how 49 UK pension schemes, representing £420bn in assets, are addressing climate change...

April 2026

Reform UK plans to scrap ‘gold-plated’ public sector pensions for new workers

Reform UK has unveiled plans to abolish so-called "gold-plated" pension arrangements for new public sector workers from 2030. The proposals would see defined benefit schemes, which guarantee retirement income, replaced with defined contribution arrangements dependent on investment performance. Under the plans, individuals entering public sector employment after 2030 would no longer have access to guaranteed pension payouts. The policy would take effect if Nigel Farage secures victory at the next general election. Reform UK has previously committed to ending such schemes for new...