Latest articles from Benjamin Mercer

Triple lock, NHS and merging regulators on Liz Truss’s agenda

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The new prime minister faces a host of economic problems, ranging from the cost of living crisis to the staffing crisis in the NHS as she enters Number 10, industry experts have said, with all eyes on the government’s forthcoming “fiscal event”.

Automatic savings trialled for those ‘excluded from pensions’

News on the go

On the go: An automatic savings alternative for those ineligible for auto-enrolment has been trialled by Cushon and the University of Lincoln, leaving almost half (42 per cent) of members feeling more positive about their financial situation.

Labour would scrap pensions tax cap to boost NHS staff

News on the go

On the go: Labour’s shadow Health and Social Care secretary, Wes Streeting, has pledged to do away with the cap above which NHS workers incur additional tax burdens, in a bid to dissuade experienced staff from retiring.

BT, Ford and M&S schemes consider appealing against RPI judgment

News on the go

On the go: The trustees of the BT, Ford and Marks and Spencer schemes are considering whether to appeal against the judgment handed down by the High Court, which struck down their judicial review against the government’s plans to axe the retail price index.

‘Millions to lose out’ as court rejects RPI reform appeal

Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire

Industry commentators have warned that millions of pensioners stand to “lose out” after the High Court rejected a judicial review, brought by some of the country’s largest defined benefit schemes, against the government’s plans to replace the retail price index with the consumer price index including housing.

Scheme administrators concerned about dashboard data security

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On the go: Data security on the pensions dashboards is the primary concern among pension scheme administrators, according to a survey from financial solutions company Bravura.

Weekly Roundup: Can we all go on strike and get it over with?

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This week – the RMT union threatens yet another strike, consultation respondents agree dashboards should be tested first, the BMA slams the government’s ‘disingenuous’ pension proposals, and the high court dismisses CMG trustee’s Barber window arrears claim.

LGPS calls for ‘future-proofing’ benefits against discrimination

News on the go

On the go: The chair of the Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board, councillor Roger Phillips, has written to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities asking for reforms to discriminatory death and survivor benefits in the LGPS, and to protect the scheme against future legal challenges.

Strikes ‘likely’ over TfL pension changes as funding deal reached

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Changes to the TfL Pension Fund will be required as part of a financial support package agreed between the government, Transport for London and the mayor of London, with a plan to be presented in September. But unions have rejected the deal, and warned that more strikes are “likely”.

‘Disingenuous’ pension proposals will not fix NHS staffing crisis

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The government’s proposed pension rules tweaks around “retire and return” for some NHS Pension Scheme members, in a bid to tackle the mounting staff retention crisis, have been criticised by commentators who argue that the changes do not go far enough.