April 2026
28Apr

UK. Four in five adults unaware of pensions dashboard

Four in five UK adults remain unaware of pensions dashboards, despite the approaching connection deadline and growing expectations that the tool will play a key role in retirement planning, research from KPMG UK has revealed. The study found that 80 per cent of UK adults have not heard of the pensions dashboard, with awareness particularly low among those closest to retirement. Among those aged 55–64, 81 per cent were unaware of the initiative, rising to 87 per cent among those aged...

April 28, 2026
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24Apr

UK. Pensions dashboards are schemes ready for the next step

TPR dashboards lead Lucy Stone emphasises that connection is just the start of the dashboards journey, urging schemes to keep up the momentum, focus on value data and embrace the opportunities to learn from user testing. We are edging ever closer to people being able to see all their pensions online at a time of their choosing, revolutionising how they plan for retirement. With the deadline for connection less than six months away, three quarters of all records are...

April 24, 2026
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23Apr

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...

April 23, 2026
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23Apr

UK. Annuity rates rise to 7.62% in March

Average annuity rates increased to 7.62 per cent in March, boosting potential retirement income, the Standard Life Annuity Rate Tracker has shown. Annuity pricing improved by 1.46 per cent over the quarter from 7.51 per cent at the end of 2025, as long‑term interest rates remained high. The data showed that a healthy 65-year-old with £100,000 of pension savings could have received an annual income of up to £7,620, representing an extra £3,000 for men and £4,000 for women over a lifetime. Standard...

April 23, 2026
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22Apr

Emma Douglas named chair of UK Pensions Regulator

The UK government has appointed Emma Douglas as the new chair of The Pensions Regulator (TPR). Douglas will take up the role at a time of ongoing change across the UK pensions landscape, with the regulator continuing to focus on protecting savers while supporting innovation and market development, it noted in a statement. Her five-year term begins on 1 July 2026, when current interim chair Kirstin Baker steps down. Announcing the appointment, pensions minister Paul Maynard said: “I am delighted to appoint...

April 22, 2026
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20Apr

UK. Chancellor warned against tax raid on pension pots

The boss of Britain's largest pensions firm urged Rachel Reeves to rule out a tax raid on retirement pots, as she faces mounting pressure to boost defence spending. Standard Life chief executive Andy Briggs said savers needed certainty that the pension tax system is not 'going to keep changing' so they can plan properly for later life. 'My view is that pensions need a multi-decade policy approach,' he told the Daily Mail. 'If you get speculation each year, if there's any sort...

April 20, 2026
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16Apr

UK. The birth of the buy-in: Reflections on 20 years of pension risk transfer

Buy-ins are now well-established and regularly dominate the headlines in the pensions press. But that has not always been the case. Take yourself back to March 2006. A small group of us at LCP was contemplating what the recent launch of a wave of new insurers seeking approval to write bulk annuities could mean for defined benefit (DB) schemes. We saw potential benefit for trustees and sponsors, and so our pension risk transfer practice was born. Today, we have a thriving...

April 16, 2026
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14Apr

UK. Longevity risk climbs agenda as DB schemes assess run-on strategies

Tackling longevity risk is becoming an increasing priority for UK defined benefit (DB) pension schemes, as more schemes reassess their endgame strategies amid a growing focus on run-on, according to Aon. The firm explained that improved funding levels in recent years have created both new opportunities and challenges for schemes, prompting trustees and sponsors to revisit their risk management approaches. This includes considering whether to run-on for a period before buyout, or to adopt a long-term run-on strategy, with longevity risk...

April 14, 2026
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13Apr

Older people forced to ‘unretire’ amid financial pressure concerns

Many older people are being compelled to "unretire" as the financial realities of their post-work lives fall significantly short of expectations, new research has revealed. A survey conducted for Standard Life found that one in six (16 per cent) retirees have either already re-entered employment (8 per cent) or are considering doing so (8 per cent). While social reasons, such as feeling disconnected, play a part, financial pressures are also a trigger for many seeking work again. Three in 10 (30 per cent) retirees report...

April 13, 2026
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09Apr

UK. Immediate pension withdrawals hit five-year high amid IHT concerns

The number of people accessing their pension savings as soon as they are able to has reached a five-year high, amid growing concerns about upcoming inheritance tax (IHT) changes, research from Lubbock Fine has shown. The wealth management firm revealed that 116,000 individuals withdrew lump sums from their pensions at age 55 last year, up from 110,000 the previous year. The total value withdrawn by this group also increased to £2.3bn, compared to £2.1bn a year earlier, highlighting a shift in...

April 9, 2026
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