April 2022

How AI and robots are caring for the elderly in Taiwan’s ageing society

The idea that cities today will have a disproportionate number of elderly would have been laughable a mere century ago. As recently as 1950, global mortality rates for children were five times higher than they are now, according to Our World in Data. Yet, advancements in healthcare and sanitation standards are helping adults live longer than ever before. Taiwan, in particular, is estimated to become a super-aged society by 2025, with one in five being over 65 years old, said...

Age-friendly cities and communities: A global perspective

By Tine Buffel, Sophie Handler & Chris Phillipson New book Age-Friendly Cities and Communities: A Global Perspective, Policy Press Tine Buffel, Sophie Handler and Chris Phillipson (Editors) Bringing together leading researchers and policy-makers working to develop age-friendly cities and communities, this edited volume examines the potential of developing urban environments responsive to the needs of older people. The book provides numerous case studies and examples of good practice, drawing upon work in Australia, Europe, Hong Kong, and the USA. It...

Strategic partnerships and ICT solutions in extending social security coverage in Africa

By ISSA Through strategic partnerships and modern information and communications (ICT) solutions, member institutions of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) are strengthening the scope, extent, and adequacy of social security coverage. Across Africa, the quasi totality of countries has social security schemes and/or programmes theoretically covering most of the population. The policy discourse on extending social security coverage during the last decades culminates in the enactment of new legislation to expand the scope of coverage and reforms on existing schemes...

March 2022

UK. Pension dashboards are coming - action for occupational pension schemes to take now

UK. Pension dashboards are coming – action for occupational pension schemes to take now

Establishing a system of “pension dashboards” to enable individuals who have yet to take retirement benefits to find clear, standardised information about all their pension arrangements (including rights to state pension) in one place is a key element of the government’s pension strategy. The ambition is laudable but achieving it will be a mammoth task, requiring significant time and resource from occupational pension scheme trustees, pension managers and administrators. All UK occupational pension schemes with 100 or more non-pensioner members...

UK. Govt’s dashboard proposals cause widespread industry concerns

The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association has recommended three thresholds that must be met before pensions dashboards are launched to the public, but there is widespread industry concern around liability for incorrect or misinterpreted information, and significant doubts whether its launch is achievable by the government’s preferred dates. The Department for Work and Pensions launched a consultation into its draft dashboards regulations in January that set out detailed data presentation and communication requirements, and that reaffirmed the government’s commitment to...

February 2022

AI for social protection: Mind the people

The technology that allowed passengers to ride elevators without an operator was tested and ready for deployment in the 1890s. But it was only after the elevator operators’ strike of 1946—which cost New York City $100 million—that automated elevators started to get installed. It took more than 50 years to persuade people that they were as safe and as convenient as those operated by humans. The promise of radical changes from new technologies has often overshadowed the human factor...

Global Pension Assets Study – 2022

By Thinking Ahead Institute The Global Pension Assets Study estimates global pension fund assets across 22 major pension markets (the P22). These geographies now total a record US$56.6 trillion in pension assets and account for 76% of the GDP of these economies. The study, conducted by WTW and the Thinking Ahead Institute since the 1990s, includes an analysis of the seven largest markets (the P7): Australia, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, Switzerland, UK and US comprise 92% of total pension assets, unchanged...

UK. Nearly half of savers in the dark when switching providers

More than four in 10 pension savers said they would not know what to look for when switching providers. More than two in five of the 2,104 savers surveyed by B&CE, the provider of The People’s Pension, would be likely to transfer their savings between providers if they could use a website that allowed them to see their pensions in one place. The findings are the latest in a flurry of research conducted into consumer behaviour surrounding the pensions dashboards, which...

UK. DWP publishes draft dashboard regulations

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a consultation on the draft pensions dashboards regulations. The consultation seeks views on the draft regulations which make provision for requirements to be met by pension dashboard services or the providers of these services, and by trustees or managers of relevant UK occupational pension schemes. Read also UK. Prudential reports itself to regulator over AVC failings The regulations - which the DWP said will apply to all registrable UK-based occupational pension schemes with...

January 2022

Kenya. NSSF Members to Access Pension Services Through M-Pesa App

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) members can now access pension services through the NSSF Mini App on the M-Pesa Super App. Following a NEW partnership with Safaricom, customers can register for NSSF membership, keep track of their contributions, top-up and manage their NSSF account, and make Tenant Purchase Scheme (TPS) payments through the "Discover" option within the M-PESA Super App. Read also Iranian Teachers Demand Fair Pay, Pension Adjustment Anthony Omerikwa, Managing Trustee, NSSF said that the partnership is part of...