8 March 2017 Another missed opportunity to start addressing social care No new incentives for social care savings and radical reform proposals pushed into Green Paper later this year No proper help for savers – new NS&I bond pays interest rate lower than inflation, so savers lose money Costs of public sector pensions will rise sharply, by nearly 40% between 2015 and 2020 Self employed bearing brunt of tax rises to pay for other measures Addressing Social care crisis: Extra…
7 March 2017 Chancellor has chance to address one of biggest social issues of our time Britain has been sleepwalking into a social care crisis – time to wake up! Elderly people who need care face wealth tax and stealth tax while others pay nothing More favourable fiscal position offers opportunity to radically reform unfair care system Integration and incentives long overdue – consider Care ISAs, employer care saving plans, auto-enrolment, eldercare vouchers, National Insurance Dramatic unfairness in social…
6 March 2017 International Women’s Day celebrates women’s progress but more to do Too many women still losing out in pensions relative to men National Insurance still penalises women – including in State Pensions Lower lifetime earnings leave women with lower private pensions too – older women particularly at risk Older women have achieved improved equality, pay and maternity rights for today’s younger women: As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th, spare a thought for current cohorts of…
28 February 2017 Well done to the Pensions Regulator – £360m deal to support BHS scheme Members will get much more than PPF while Sir Philip pays up for future pensions Regulator has worked hard to secure good structure for the deal as well as significant extra funding I am delighted that the Pensions Regulator has managed to agree a deal with Sir Philip Green that secures over £360m for the BHS pension scheme and takes members back out of…
28 February 2017 Triple lock will lead to extra unfair rises in State Pension Age Work and Pensions Select Committee is right to call for earnings and inflation link instead of triple lock Continually raising State Pension age disadvantages vulnerable older people Politicians hide behind triple lock but it does not protect pensioners properly anyway Keeping triple lock in future gives more money to better off and younger pensioners Raising State Pension Age disadvantages vulnerable groups: Raising the state pension…
20 February 2017 DWP seems rather complacent about sustainability of UK Defined Benefit pension schemes Nearly 90% of schemes are closed and Government needs proper planning for members in future years Burdens of Defined Benefit schemes will increasingly put younger workers’ pensions and jobs at risk Using annuity costs as a yardstick is unreasonable, unaffordable and unsustainable for most schemes Complacency based on short-term view: The DWP has today produced its long awaited Green Paper on the affordability of Defined…
8 February 2017 Care crisis is worse than pensions crisis – but pensions and savings could help fund social care Many baby boomers have pensions and ISAs but no incentive to retain money for care Chancellor’s Budget could consider tax-free pension withdrawals and IHT-free ISAs for care savings Such incentives would let people know they need to prepare for care costs Have to get real about the scale of care challenge – need combination of public funding, national insurance,…
5 February 2017 Wake-up call to business to use home-grown skills and experience of older workers Over 50s women need specific help as they’ve been badly disadvantaged Rethinking retirement can increase economic activity and national income short-term and long-term 3’R’s vital to rethinking retirement – ‘Retain’, ‘Retrain’ and ‘Recruit’ more over 50s In March 2015 I produced a Report as Business Champion of Older workers explaining the benefits of encouraging and enabling more people to work longer if they wish…
4 January 2017 UK private pensions are in mortal danger – their huge benefits seem under threat Anyone who cares about pensions should be very, very worried Latest Treasury info doesn’t mention pensions when educating the public about retirement saving Future generations face worse later life income if Treasury succeeds in undermining pensions ISAs are sub-optimal way to provide for later life and will saddle future Government with rising pensioner poverty – pushing more costs onto the young Now is…
4 January 2017 Oldest and poorest pensioners are not protected properly by triple lock as it only protects two parts of State Pension Triple lock has kicked in for 2017/18 as earnings and prices rose by less than 2.5% but pensioners deserve proper protection, not just political gimmicks Keeping triple lock in future gives more money to better off and younger pensioners Healthier and wealthier pensioners get £200 a week State Pension by deferring while poorest and oldest get much…