May 2026

UK. Government-backed Pensions Commission calls for action on gender savings gap

A shake-up of pensions in Britain must involve measures to close the gap in retirement savings between men and women, the revived Pensions Commission is to tell ministers. According to the government-backed body, women approaching retirement have on average half the private pension savings of men, with a median pension wealth of £81,000 versus £156,000. The commission, which is expected to publish its interim report on the long-term future of the retirement system this week, said it would look at how the government...

More UK children projected to live beyond 100 as longevity pressures mount

More than a quarter of girls and almost a fifth of boys born in the UK in 2049 are expected to live to at least 100 years old, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) projections, raising further questions over the long-term sustainability of retirement provision. The ONS’ latest Past and projected period and cohort life tables showed that 26.3 per cent of girls and 18.3 per cent of boys born in 2049 are projected to live to at least...

The largest UK pension schemes are substantially ahead on climate action as smaller schemes risk falling further behind

88% of the largest schemes have a credible net zero implementation strategy compared to 61% on average for all schemes reviewed Almost all schemes with assets above £5bn now target net zero, compared with just over half of smaller peers, averaging 76% across all schemes. Average Implied Temperature Rise remains at 2.4°C, suggesting schemes are still exposed to assets misaligned with climate goals XPS Group, a leading UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors,...

UK government unit targets £99bn of investment from Australian pension funds

A plan to target £99bn of overseas pension investment into key UK projects by 2035 has been announced only weeks after the government struggled to pass its pensions schemes bill. A new “Supers Unit”, led by the Office for Investment, aims to boost collaboration and streamline investment from Australian pension funds into growth sectors, including infrastructure, real estate and private markets. This follows a memorandum of understanding signed at last month’s IMF meetings between UK chancellor Rachel Reeves and Australian treasurer...

New HMRC tax rules coming for DWP state pension after Labour update

New tax rules are coming on the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) state pension from 2028, it has been warned. Labour Party minister Torsten Bell has confirmed the shake-up as he responded to a question in the Commons. Mr Bell responded to fears the state pension - which is already dangerously close to breaching the personal tax-free allowance - could rise further with the Triple Lock next year, taking it over the threshold. Euan Stainbank reached out "to ask the Chancellor of...

UK. TPR outlines vision for megafunds and simplified pensions market by 2036

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) chief executive, Nausicaa Delfas, has said the UK workplace pensions market could look “very different” by 2036, with a smaller number of large pension megafunds, greater consolidation and more scheme-led retirement solutions becoming the norm. Speaking at the Eversheds Sutherland UK Pensions Conference, Delfas said the pensions market was currently undergoing “the biggest changes in pensions since the introduction of auto-enrolment”. Setting out her vision for the future of the UK pensions system, Delfas said she expected to...

UK. Why we won’t see another pensions bill any time soon

The ink has barely dried on the finalised Pension Schemes Bill, but already attention is turning towards the next legislation that may hit the industry. Many of the Pension Schemes Bill’s elements require secondary legislation and industry consultations, which policymakers will be working on over the coming months. But there are other policy issues that could require legislation in the future, including the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) ongoing consultation on trusteeship and administration. Pensions Expert reported last year that the Pensions...

UK Pension Assets Fall £232 Billion in Six Years: deVere Group Analysis

The total value of UK-funded occupational pension schemes has fallen by £232 billion since 2019, new data shows. The dramatic slide comes despite the fact that overall membership grew by 1.6 million people in the same period. The fall reveals the full impact of the 2022 Truss Mini-budget, from which UK defined benefit contributions have yet to recover. Analysis by the deVere Group of ONS data shows a peak-to-trough of minus £757 bn, or −37.4 per cent. The market-value measure (assets minus non-pension...

April 2026

UK. CDC code of practice laid before parliament as TPR clarifies comms role of trustees

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) may act against trustees if they fail to identify “unclear or misleading” communications in relation to collective defined contribution (CDC) pension schemes. TPR’s code of practice for CDC schemes was laid before parliament this week (29 April), ahead of coming into force around October this year. The regulator also published its response to the CDC code consultation, which closed earlier this year, and stated that it would hold trustees accountable for poor communications. This was an area...

UK ageing accelerates as over‑85 population set to double

The UK’s population is ageing rapidly, with the number of people aged 85 and over projected to double over the next 25 years, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown. The data revealed there were 1.75 million people aged 85 and over in mid‑2024, accounting for 2.5 per cent of the population, a figure expected to rise to 3.6 million, or 4.9 per cent, by mid‑2049. Over the same period, the number of people of pensionable age...