All pension reform articles – Page 2
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NewsLGPS calls for ‘future-proofing’ benefits against discrimination
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.
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NewsPASA issues call to action on dashboards data matching
On the go: The Pensions Administration Standards Association has urged schemes to act now on data matching in preparation for dashboards, deciding how to digitally compare and match “find requests” from users against their records.
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NewsOmbudsman to speed up state pension age investigation
On the go: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is to adjust its approach to the remainder of its investigation into failures by the Department for Work and Pensions relating to changes to women’s state pension age, so it can “conclude the investigation as efficiently as possible”, having shared its preliminary views with interested parties.
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NewsGovt to change civil servants’ early pensions access
The government has proposed to change the rules around early access to pensions in the civil service, tracking 10 years behind state pension age, according to a new consultation over reforms to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.
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NewsMcCloud incentives see hundreds of Scottish police retire early
On the go: Incentives introduced as part of the McCloud remedy have led to hundreds of Scottish police officers — many in senior positions — choose to retire early, leading to fears that the force is not sufficiently manned to tackle serious crime.
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NewsLGPS board presses new ministers on TCFD timetable
On the go: The Scheme Advisory Board of the Local Government Pension Scheme has written to two newly appointed government ministers urging them to commit to a timetable for scheme reform, as fears mount that important consultations could be delayed.
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NewsPodcast: Ball in TPR’s court as DB funding code consultation launches
Podcast: The consultation into the defined benefit funding code by the Department for Work and Pensions hints at a prescriptive regime to come, but the Pensions Regulator must improve on its “rubbish” code of practice draft, according to Zedra client director Richard Butcher. He and Hymans Robertson partner Laura McLaren discuss the next steps, stronger nudge concerns, and assess the health of pensions post-Maxwell.
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NewsUSS annual report shows significant improvement but angers unions
The significant improvement in the Universities Superannuation Scheme’s funding position and resilience has angered the University and College Union, which argued that benefit cuts implemented in April were “totally unnecessary” in light of the scheme’s strength.
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NewsGovt writes off £483,000 as Aon completes Maxwell scheme wind-up
Aon has overseen the wind-up of the AGB Pension Scheme, the last of the so-called “Maxwell pension schemes” supported by Aon Trustees Limited, with the aid of a £483,294 write-off by the government.
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NewsCost of living crisis makes AE expansion unwise
Expanding auto-enrolment during a cost of living crisis would significantly undermine retirement resilience, with low-income earners seeing their surplus income decrease by almost a quarter, according to a new report from Hargreaves Lansdown.
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NewsGovernment resignations throw pensions into ‘turmoil’
Collapsing scenery in and around Downing Street has sparked fear in the pensions industry, as the resignation of pensions minister Guy Opperman brings important reforms to a halt.
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NewsRetirement guidance is improving but decumulation challenges remain
On the go:Support available to those approaching retirement is improving, particularly in master trusts, but a comprehensive framework is still required to ensure all savers get the help they need, according to new research.
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NewsGovt to push ahead with firefighters and police McCloud reforms
The government will press ahead with planned reforms implementing the McCloud remedy with respect to members of the police and firefighters’ pension schemes, making amendments to ill-health provisions for the latter, despite concerns the remedy might itself be discriminatory.
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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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NewsPodcast: 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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NewsNo AE reform, but Queen’s Speech measures spark protests
There was no mention of automatic enrolment reform in the Queen’s Speech, but bills around local boycotts, online safety and a revamped audit and reporting framework will all impact the industry, experts have said.
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PodcastsPodcast: Uncertainty around inflation leads to ‘casino pensions’
Podcast: High levels of volatility around inflation will force trustees to “take a bet” on the future, as it is very difficult — absent a crystal ball — to predict inflationary pressure and its impact on scheme liabilities, says Pension Playpen chief executive Steve Goddard. He is joined by Cardano managing director Emily Goodridge to discuss inflation, technology in pensions, and the future of environmental, social and governance disclosure.
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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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NewsGMP guidance ‘helpful’ but ‘could have gone further’ on conversion
The government’s supplementary guidance on guaranteed minimum pensions equalisation was broadly welcomed by the industry as it could save trustees “time and money”, but some have cautioned that the section on conversion will make little difference without legislation.