Over one-third (39%) of respondents feel that it's too early to assess what impact Brexit will have on pensions, according to research by Employee Benefits and Nest.
While just under one-third (32%) believe that the outcome of the June 2016 referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union (EU) will have an impact on pensions, according to Employee Benefits/Nest Pension Research 2017, which surveyed 254 employee respondents in September 2017, just under a fifth (19%) are unsure. This is broadly in line with 2016 when 14% were unsure how it would impact pensions and 45% felt it was too early to tell.
For those respondents that believe Brexit will impact their pension schemes in some way, around a third (34%) believe it will increase employee engagement with retirement planning, while 31% believe it will motivate staff to decrease their pension contributions.
Very few respondents agree that Brexit will have no effect on staff (9%) and almost three-quarters (73%) agree that it is too early to know how exiting the EU will affect pensions.
Do respondents think Brexit will impact pensions?
Sample: All respondents (155)
It is too early to tell 39%
Yes 32%
No 11%
Do not know 19%
How respondents believe Brexit will impact pensions
Sample: All respondents that believe Brexit will impact pensions (46)
Brexit will increase employee engagement in retirement planning
Agree 34% Disagree 48% Not applicable 18%
Brexit will encourage staff to increase their pension scheme contributions
Agree 27% Disagree 62% Not applicable 11%
Brexit will lead to employees becoming disengaged from retirement planning
Agree 28% Disagree 41% Not applicable 30%
Brexit will motivate staff to decrease their pension scheme contributions
Agree 31% Disagree 51% Not applicable 18%
Brexit will motivate staff to opt out of their workplace pension scheme
Agree 27% Disagree 62% Not applicable 11%
Brexit will have no impact on staff
Agree 9% Disagree 74% Not applicable 17%
It is too early to tell how Brexit will impact pensions
Agree 73% Disagree 11% Not applicable 16%