April 2024
03Apr

UK: Pensions Regulator: Chief Executive Outlines Changing Role Of Regulator

On March 12, 2024, the Chief Executive of the Regulator, Nausicaa Delfas, delivered a speech on the changes to the pensions sector and how the Regulator is responding. The speech addresses the growing influence of scheme consolidation across both DB and DC schemes, the changing role of trustees in producing transparency and value for members, the emergence of superfunds and the broadening powers of the Regulator around compliance, oversight and analysis. On the Government's Mansion House reforms, the Regulator believes that productive assets...

April 3, 2024
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02Apr

UK. Pensions dashboard deadline confirmed

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published its pension dashboard guidance, revealing that the new deadline for pension firms to provide a connected service is due to fall on 31 October 2026. First mooted in 2016, the pensions dashboard scheme seeks to provide a single touchpoint for people to find and interact with their state, employer and private pensions. The new guidance, published in late March 2024, sets out a staged timetable for pension schemes to connect to the...

April 2, 2024
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02Apr

Amex freezes pension payouts for thousands of Brits for tenth year

American Express has sparked criticism for freezing pension payments for thousands of former British employees for the tenth year in a row. The US payment cards giant said in a letter to UK pension fund members on 22 March that it had considered the case for a discretionary increase in payouts and decided against it. Campaigners have said they have suffered a 30 per cent drop in the value of their pensions over the past decade when adjusted for inflation. During this period Amex has...

April 2, 2024
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01Apr

UK. DWP State Pension update for women in their 60s and 70s due around £5,000

The Treasury recently confirmed that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) started writing to older people whose National Insurance (NI) records may be affected by missing periods of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) in September 2023, inviting them to apply to fill potential gaps to ensure they receive the correct amount of State Pension. Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Nigel Huddleston MP also told the Commons that HMRC is working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to find people affected...

April 1, 2024
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March 2024
27Mar

UK. Data shows public concern about pensions adequacy and climate change

Most of the public want the government to do more to address pensions adequacy and to ensure the industry is tackling the climate crisis, research from ShareAction, Make My Money Matter and Finance Innovation Lab finds. The research from the responsible investment organisations – which polled 2,000 UK adults this month – found three quarters (77%) of the public were concerned about adequacy, while two thirds (65%) wanted the pensions industry to address climate change. As part of its work, the group put...

March 27, 2024
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26Mar

Majority of U.K. DB plans looking for buy-in or buyout

More than half (53%) of the U.K.’s large defined benefit plans are planning for an insurer buy-in or buyout within the next three years, according to research by insurance and asset management firm Legal & General. In 2023, around £50 billion of U.K. retirement income was secured with insurance companies through pension buy-ins and buyouts. When it came to investment strategy, three quarters of respondents affirmed that they were decreasing allocations to illiquid assets. Insurers have previously expressed caution in engaging...

March 26, 2024
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25Mar

UK’s Conservatives will commit to pensions triple lock, says Hunt

Britain's ruling Conservative Party would commit to keeping the so-called triple lock for increasing state pensions, finance minister Jeremy Hunt said on Sunday, seeking to woo older voters ahead of an election expected later this year. With the opposition Labour Party holding a strong lead in opinion polls, Hunt stepped up efforts to draw a dividing line between the parties by emphasising the Conservatives' commitment to lower taxation. Under the existing pension triple lock system, the government has promised to raise...

March 25, 2024
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22Mar

Thousands of UK women owed pension payout after ombudsman’s Waspi ruling

Thousands of women, potentially hundreds of thousands, are owed compensation because of government failings related to the way changes to the state pension age were made, a long-awaited official report has said. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) said those affected should be compensated. But the recommended payouts of between £1,000 and £2,950 a person fall far short of the £10,000-plus that campaigners were calling for. Depending on the numbers affected, the total bill could still end up being in the...

March 22, 2024
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21Mar

UK’s Hunt Says State Pension and Benefits Are ‘Under Review’

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt indicated that reforms to the UK state pension and welfare benefits are being considered as the government scrambles to fund increases in defense spending and boost economic growth. Testifying to lawmakers in the House of Lords, Hunt said the triple lock — which guarantees that the state pension rises by the highest of inflation, average earnings or 2.5% — was “under review.” Continuation of the policy is subject to improving the government’s two goals of...

March 21, 2024
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20Mar

UK Spring Budget – Pensions proposals silent on sustainability

The UK government’s Spring Budget last week put an emphasis on investments in the UK but creates more risks for long-term savers by not sufficiently addressing sustainability risks. Pension funds and their investments have a direct influence on environmental, social, and economic outcomes. In order to secure the long-term financial interest of beneficiaries, pension funds have a responsibility to consider whether system-level sustainability risks will affect their ability to do this[1]. A key topic of the UK Spring Budget, also addressed in the...

March 20, 2024
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