February 2025
10Feb

UK. MPs approve £6.9bn hike in spending on pensions and benefits

MPs today approved a £6.9billion hike in spending on state pensions and benefits from April. Orders supported by the House of Commons included a 4.1 per cent increase to the state pension under the terms of the 'triple lock'. This ensures payments rise each April in line with whichever is highest out of average earnings growth, inflation or 2.5 per cent. The increase for 2025/26 was pegged to wages, which rose by 4.1 per cent in the relevant period last year. It means, from...

February 10, 2025
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07Feb

UK. Pensions industry could save members ‘millions’ in private market fees, report finds

The UK workplace pension industry could have the opportunity to save "hundreds of millions of pounds" for savers when it comes to investing in private markets, a report from The People’s Pension has suggested. The paper found that while there are nearly £1bn in potential fee savings available, no master trust currently has the scale to fully take advantage, which aligns with the government's own recent calculations, which suggested that investing in private markets delivers little additional value at current...

February 7, 2025
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06Feb

UK. Pension trustees urged not to ‘lose sight’ of urgency of climate issues

Pension scheme trustees should not lose sight of the urgency of climate change, the Trustee Sustainability Working Group (TSWG) has said, encouraging trustees not to use recent changes in international priorities as a reason to move climate issues off their agenda. The TSWG, launched in December, also encouraged the consulting community and investment manager community to move beyond a focus on emissions to consider the financial risks inherent in a world that does not transition. However, it suggested that innovation is...

February 6, 2025
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05Feb

UK. Pensions inheritance tax raid to punish 150,000 families with higher bills

Labour’s pensions inheritance tax raid will hit 150,000 grieving families with higher death duty bills, figures show. Rachel Reeves’s decision to apply inheritance tax to pension wealth from April 2027 will drag 31,200 families into paying the levy for the first time by 2030, according to data obtained through a Freedom of Information request. Some 121,500 families that already pay inheritance tax will also see their bills rise as a result of the change. The policy means that estates with relatively modest assets...

February 5, 2025
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05Feb

UK. DWP Fraud Crackdown: Bank Data Access and Travel Monitoring Spark Debate

Wide-ranging new powers, including access to bank data and collaboration with outside organisations like airlines, are expected to be granted to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in order to combat benefit fraud. Critics caution that these tactics could result in widespread surveillance and the degradation of civil freedoms, despite the government’s insistence that they target fraudsters. The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) measure is a new measure that aims to modernise the DWP’s information-gathering capabilities so that...

February 5, 2025
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04Feb

UK. £35 million added to State Pension pots

Only two months left to boost State Pension by filling gaps in National Insurance records from 2006 onwards Since the launch of the digital service last April, 37,000 people have topped up more than 68,000 years, worth £35 million People wanting to maximise their State Pension by plugging gaps in their National Insurance record have contributed to a total of 68,673 years, worth £35 million, using the online service since April last year HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has...

February 4, 2025
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January 2025
30Jan

UK. Pensions experts react to government’s DB surplus plan

Pensions experts have largely welcomed new proposals from the government to allow surplus funds in DB schemes to be invested in the wider economy. It intends to allow part of a DB fund surplus to be returned to the employer for them to invest in their core business, or bolster pension-scheme members’ benefits. However, Rachel Vahey – head of public policy at AJ Bell – said in doing so, the government is “encouraging trustees to take risks with other people’s money”. TPR...

January 30, 2025
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29Jan

UK. ‘Financial materiality’ forcing nature and biodiversity into sustainability strategies

“Financial materiality” is forcing asset owners, including pension funds, to incorporate nature and biodiversity into their sustainability strategies, according to a report by Pensions for Purpose. The report found that 65 per cent of asset owners are now incorporating nature and biodiversity into their sustainability strategies, while a further 20 per cent already plan to do so. Commissioned by the First Sentier MUFG Sustainable Investment Institute, the research highlighted the pressing need for the financial sector to confront biodiversity risks, with...

January 29, 2025
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28Jan

UK. Pension industry backs Reeves’ £160bn corporate pension release

The pensions industry has said it is willing to back the Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans to unlock up to £160bn in corporate surpluses if retirees are given “appropriate protection” by the government. Reeves and the Prime Minister Keir Starmer are set to meet with business leaders in the City of London today to outline pension reforms aimed at driving economic growth. Under the changes, trapped surplus funds in so-called final salary pension schemes will be freed up for investment, while trustees will be given more...

January 28, 2025
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21Jan

UK’s PensionBee Calls for Greater Clarity on Pension Transfers Following Appointment of New Pensions Minister

UK’s online pension provider PensionBee recently shared comments following the appointment of Torsten Bell MP as Pensions Minister. Lisa Picardo, Chief Business Officer UK of PensionBee, commented: “We welcome the new Pensions Minister to his new role. With his extensive experience in public policy, we’re keen to see his innovative approaches that prioritise savers and bring much-needed progress to the pensions industry.” Picardo added that they are looking forward to “seeing whether Torsten Bell – with a background of campaigning for high retirement living standards –...

January 21, 2025
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