pensionsandsavings.com

Digital Discrimination leaves millions of older people at risk

May 23, 2018 Ros Altmann Comments 5 comments

AgeUK finds Government guilty of digital age discrimination leaving millions of older people at risk of poverty. Elderly citizens denied benefit entitlements because they can’t cope online need special help. Be proud that Britain is leading many technological advances, but this risks older generations being increasingly marginalised by society. 3.8million older people in Britain today have never used the internet: Many of us are so used to online connections that we are in danger of forgetting how fast the technological…

Read More Read More

Don’t hit older workers to pay for social care – need a solution that is fair across and within generations

May 7, 2018 Ros Altmann Comments 0 Comment

Forcing pensioner workers to pay National Insurance is not a solution to care funding crisis Imposing new National Insurance on just one group introduces new unfairness and could be politically damaging Pensioners are not entitled to many of the benefits that National Insurance covers Working past pension age should be encouraged, not penalised to pay for other people’s care How could Government justify forcing pensioner workers to fund other people’s social care while non-working pensioners on huge pensions pay no…

Read More Read More

MPs highlight gaping holes in pension options and protections at retirement

April 5, 2018 Ros Altmann Comments 1 comment

Work and Pensions Committee Report exposes gaping hole in pension freedoms as customers are left unprotected at retirement. Urgent calls for simpler, fairer information and standardised forms to help people understand their pension options and improve retirement income. Pressure on pensions industry to offer innovative products and good value default options for retirement income as MPs call for NEST to be allowed to compete. Before taking money out of pensions, more people need impartial financial guidance or advice. Gaping…

Read More Read More

Shocking failings at Financial Ombudsman uncovered

March 12, 2018 Ros Altmann Comments 9 comments

Shocking failings uncovered at Financial Ombudsman. Channel 4 Dispatches undercover investigation finds major flaws in Ombudsman operation. FOS staff who don’t understand financial products, are pressured to turn down complaints and side with banks or financial providers. Urgent action needed to ensure financial customers have proper system of fair redress. Tonight at 8pm a Channel4 Dispatches programme will show shocking evidence of failings at the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Members of the public are told to complain to the Ombudsman…

Read More Read More

MPs have chance to beef up pension cold-calling ban to make it more effective and ensure more get impartial guidance

March 11, 2018 Ros Altmann Comments 0 Comment

MPs must ensure Government’s promised cold-calling ban actually works. Providers should also be required to automatically refer customers to PensionWise guidance Financial Guidance and Claims Bill comes to Commons tomorrow for crucial votes – a chance to achieve proper protections, not just worthy headlines I hope Government will back Frank Field’s amendments for cold-calling and automatic pensions guidance rather than its own weaker proposals An opportunity to improve consumer protection properly: The House of Commons will vote tomorrow, Monday 12…

Read More Read More

State Pension age rising to 70 even though UK State Pension is lowest in the world

February 11, 2018 Ros Altmann Comments 88 comments

UK State Pension officially the worst in the world – but still needs to be cut further. Middle income groups receive worse pensions than any other country in the OECD. Government actuaries say under-30s won’t get state pension till their 70s as new State Pension system is unaffordable. The Government Actuary says the UK State Pension is not sustainable, even though it is the lowest in the developed world, according to latest OECD figures. UK bottom of the global pensions…

Read More Read More

Government trying to weaken consumer protection for pensions

January 26, 2018 Ros Altmann Comments 0 Comment

Changes to Financial Guidance Bill would leave pension customers more at risk of scams and fraud, buying overpriced products or paying unnecessary tax. Automatic guidance can help pension customers make the most of their pension savings. Disappointing to see Government bowing to industry pressure to weaken consumer protection. More pension customers will be at risk of scams and losses: I am really disappointed that the Government seems to have bowed to industry pressure and proposes to weaken consumer protection for…

Read More Read More

Did Carillion’s banks demand pension scheme sacrifices as price of more loans?

January 17, 2018 Ros Altmann Comments 0 Comment

Carillion suggests some firms treat pension debt as ‘optional’. Did lenders demand pension fund should be sacrificed as condition of bank loan? Trustees and Pensions Regulator must be consulted before scheme security is compromised. Totally unacceptable to insist pension security plays second fiddle – these liabilities have people’s lives attached. Serious questions about banks demands to reduce pension funding as condition of new loans: Evidence is emerging today which suggests that Carillion’s banks insisted further lending to the company was…

Read More Read More

PPF can cope with Carillion but …

January 15, 2018 Ros Altmann Comments 1 comment

Pension Protection Fund can cope with Carillion. Concern that a hard Brexit might lead to PPF facing difficulties. The Carillion pensioners will see much of their pension replaced by the Pension Protection Fund (but future increases will be lower). However, those not yet at pension age or who took early retirement may lose at least 10-20% of their promised pension. The PPF has budgeted for some big schemes to fail and can manage the onboarding of all Carillion’s pension schemes….

Read More Read More

As care crisis worsens, Jeremy Hunt has a chance to improve both NHS and Social Care

January 9, 2018 Ros Altmann Comments 0 Comment

Golden opportunity to address the social care crisis must not be missed. Integration of healthcare and social care can improve the quality of both. Meaningful reform must end artificial and unfair division between dementia and cancer. As the population ages, the country’s care system simply isn’t fit for purpose: Social care available from local authorities is not providing good care for today’s elderly people (a cohort which is currently very small yet is causing such mayhem), and that lack of…

Read More Read More

From Ros Altmann:economist and pensions,
investment and retirement policy expert