All Stephen Timms articles
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NewsState pension age review to be published by May
On the go: The state pension age review will be published by May of this year, the pensions minister has confirmed.
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NewsGovt refuses to commit to increase auto-enrolment contributions
The government has refused to commit to increasing minimum auto-enrolment contributions, despite acknowledging that the current statutory contribution of 8 per cent is “unlikely to give all individuals the retirement to which they aspire”.
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NewsRegulator dismisses delaying DB funding code due to LDI crisis
The Pensions Regulator has denied a request from MPs to delay the launch of its defined benefit funding code consultation due to the recent market turmoil, justifying that the document already includes a section about systemic risk.
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NewsTPR rejects claim of having pressured schemes into LDI
The Pensions Regulator has pushed back against a suggestion put to the watchdog by MPs that it pressured some pension schemes towards liability-driven investments, when they did not think LDI was appropriate for them.
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NewsFCA: Liquidity buffers are a ‘necessary but partial solution’
On the go: The Financial Conduct Authority has urged managers of liability-driven investment funds to learn the lessons of the autumn liquidity crisis, claiming that liquidity buffers represent only part of the solution to future volatility.
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NewsHunt declines to commit to state pension inflation uprating
On the go: Chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt has told the chair of the work and pensions select committee that “there are difficult decisions to be made” in response to a request that social security benefits and state pensions be uprated in April 2023 in line with the consumer price index inflation rate recorded in September 2022.
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NewsMPs to question DB schemes’ use of LDI in new inquiry
On the go: The Work and Pensions Committee has launched an inquiry into the regulation and governance of defined benefit schemes with liability-driven investments.
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NewsMPs question TPR role in LDI market turmoil
The Work and Pensions Committee has questioned the Pensions Regulator’s role in the market turmoil that led to the Bank of England’s intervention, asking if the watchdog should have “taken stronger action” earlier and what actions it was taking to monitor risks.
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NewsMPs call for AE reforms to be introduced by spring 2023
The Work and Pensions Committee has called on the government to introduce auto-enrolment reforms next spring, while setting up new policy goals to ensure a “new consensus on adequate retirement income” is achieved.
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NewsOpperman: 12mn people are under-saving for retirement
Pensions minister Guy Opperman has told MPs that around 12mn people are under-saving for their retirement, accounting for 38 per cent of the nation’s working age population.
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NewsMPs approve Dominic Harris as new Pensions Ombudsman
On the go: The Work and Pensions Committee has approved the appointment of CMS partner Dominic Harris as the next Pensions Ombudsman.
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NewsOpperman: AE reforms are ‘doable’ by 2025
On the go: Pensions minister Guy Opperman remains committed to introducing auto-enrolment reform, noting that implementation of new legislation is “doable” by 2025.
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NewsTPR working on granting pensions to 200,000 gig economy workers
On the go: The Pensions Regulator is working to give gig economy workers access to pensions, but “legal complexities and routine challenges from employers” remain a challenge.
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NewsSelf-assessment pension trials results expected in summer
On the go: The results of a trial to boost retirement savings for the self-employed, involving the existing self-assessment tax system, will be published in summer, a Treasury minister has revealed.
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NewsTPR considers regulatory action in Norton Motorcycles case
On the go: The Pensions Regulator is considering taking regulatory action against Stuart Garner, former owner of Norton Motorcycles, its chief executive has revealed.
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NewsICO in talks with TPR over member communications
On the go: The Information Commissioner’s Office is engaging with the Pensions Regulator to clarify the current rules involving member communications, as schemes and providers believe existing legislation prevents them from reaching out to these individuals.
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NewsWork and Pensions Committee chair Timms receives knighthood
On the go: Work and Pensions Committee chair Stephen Timms has received a knighthood in the Queen’s birthday honours.
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NewsTimms urges Opperman to reconsider FAS compensation cap
Work and Pensions Committee chair Stephen Timms has asked pensions minister Guy Opperman to reconsider the interest on arrears and the application of the compensation cap for Financial Assistance Scheme members.
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NewsWater Companies scheme trustee stands firm over surplus transfer
David Sankey, chair of the £710mn Water Companies Pension Scheme, has assured MPs that the trustee has fulfilled its duties with respect to the planned transfer of the Bristol Water section’s surplus to its sponsor.
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NewsBrookfield to safeguard HomeServe DB pensions in £4bn deal
On the go: Canadian asset manager Brookfield has said that it will retain repair business HomeServe’s current defined benefit pensions arrangements, following the announced agreement of a £4bn takeover of the company.