All Policy articles – Page 5
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NewsProcurement bill introduces uncertainty for regulated schemes
Government attempts to introduce flexibility to simplified public procurement processes could have an impact on regulated pension schemes, which will have to deal with increased uncertainty as a result.
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NewsTimms lobbies for pensions inclusion in digital legislation
On the go: Work and Pensions Committee chair Stephen Timms has written to the minister of state for media, data and digital infrastructure calling for reassurance that the government will consider the issues of pensions advice and guidance as it updates its privacy and electronic communications legislation.
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PodcastsPodcast: Partial AE reform should be prioritised before long-term fix
Podcast: The absence of auto-enrolment reform from the Queen’s speech means the government will be hard-pressed to meet its middle-of-the-decade deadline to achieve it. The priority should be getting the most important parts done as quickly as possible, and introducing the rest of the 2017 reform proposals enacted longer-term. Sackers partner Helen Ball and Mark Ormston, chair of the Industry Policy Committee at the Pensions Administration Standards Association, discuss auto-enrolment, online safety and the proposed value for money framework.
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NewsHymans Robertson calls for AE credits to tackle gender gap
Hymans Robertson has called for the creation of auto-enrolment credits in a bid to tackle the gender pensions gap, which would see the government paying pension contributions for people taking career breaks.
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NewsTimms demands changes to GMP factsheet after public’s criticism
Work and Pensions Committee chair Stephen Timms has written to the Department for Work and Pensions demanding that it update and properly publicise its “insufficient” factsheet on guaranteed minimum pensions compensation.
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NewsBMA issues stinging rebuke of ‘misleading’ NHS pensions claims
The British Medical Association has rebuked NHS England and NHS Improvement for what it calls “misleading” information about “punitive pensions taxation” and its impact on staff retention.
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NewsCrisis-driven mortality increase to reduce scheme liabilities
On the go: An increase in mortality rates brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, pressures on the healthcare system, and the cost of living crisis could see schemes’ liabilities reduced by around 2 per cent in the coming years, according to analysis from LCP.
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NewsTPR aims for transparency in consolidated enforcement powers
The Pensions Regulator has launched a consultation into a new draft enforcement policy document that aims to consolidate existing enforcement policies governing defined benefit, hybrid, public sector and defined contribution pension schemes.
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NewsGMP conversion bill receives royal assent
On the go: A private members’ bill aimed at clarifying and streamlining the process of guaranteed minimum pensions conversion has received royal assent.
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NewsContribution notice of £3.6mn hints at ‘new era’ of TPR powers
Legal commentators have hailed what could be the start of a “new era” in the Pensions Regulator’s enforcement powers after its determinations panel handed down a contribution notice for more than £3mn to two individuals connected with the Meghraj Group Pensions Scheme.
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NewsPolice Scotland warned of staff exodus after pension changes
Police Scotland is reportedly facing a staff exodus after changes to pension lump sum rules led 1,800 staff to query the size of the figure they will receive under the new system, with 400 having already decided to leave the service.
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NewsMcCloud remedy causes three of four schemes to breach cost cap
The Government Actuary’s Department has published the cost cap valuations of four public sector schemes, confirming that the cost of implementing the McCloud remedy has led to a breach of the cost control mechanism, cancelling previously-agreed benefits increases.
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NewsCharge cap proposals criticised as govt launches illiquids consultation
The government has said it will “take time to consider” industry concerns around its proposals to exclude performance fees from the charge cap, and has launched a combined consultation into other ways in which to encourage defined contribution schemes to invest in illiquid assets.
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NewsLabour accuses government of undermining pensions ‘consensus’
On the go: Labour’s shadow secretary of state for work and pensions, Jonathan Ashworth, has accused the government of breaking with pensions “consensus” and undermining workers’ protection with its planned pension reforms.
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NewsRegulator's notifiable events regime could be delayed
On the go: Industry commentators are asking whether the Pensions Regulator’s new notifiable events regime might be delayed, as the government has yet to respond to last year’s consultation into the expansion of the regulator’s powers.
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NewsNatWest pumps £427mn into pensions as govt reduces its stake
NatWest Group has paid £427mn into its pension scheme as a result of an off-market purchase of ordinary shares from HM Treasury, which saw the government’s stake in the banking group drop beneath 50 per cent for the first time since the 2008 financial crash.
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NewsUCU calls for staff welfare inquiry as two-thirds consider quitting
On the go: Two-thirds of university staff could quit the higher education sector altogether over mounting dissatisfaction with pay, pensions and working conditions, the University and College Union has warned, as it calls for the Education Select Committee to set up an inquiry into staff welfare.
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NewsGovt to consult on McCloud tax legislation this summer
On the go: The government has committed to provide tax-free compensation to members who choose reformed scheme as opposed to legacy scheme benefits under the McCloud remedy, and will consult on the necessary legislation in the summer.
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OpinionRoadmap to tackle the gender pensions gap
Prospect’s Sue Ferns proposes solutions to tackle the gender pensions gap ahead of the Work and Pensions Committee’s hearing on this topic, as she warns that more needs to be done by the government to tackle the issue.
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NewsPension schemes to tackle deforestation in climate push
Pension schemes in the UK will be expected to do more to tackle deforestation as part of the government’s climate policies, pensions minister Guy Opperman has warned.