All Pensions articles – Page 64
-
Article
Money purchase annual allowance reduction legislation to apply retrospectively
The reduction to the money purchase annual allowance (MPAA) and the introduction of the £500 tax-exempt employer-arranged pensions advice allowance are to apply retrospectively from April 2017.These measures were due to be legislated for in the Finance Bill 2017. However, following the announcement of the snap general election on 8 ...
-
Article
Supreme Court refers part-time pensions entitlement case to EU court
The Supreme Court has referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to clarify the amount a retired part-time judge can receive in pension income.The case, O’Brien v Ministry of Justice, relates to retiree O’Brien, who in addition to his work as a barrister also worked on ...
-
Opinion
Lovewell's logic: Building the foundation for a truly modern work environment
Changing workforce demographics and employers’ interest in adapting benefits strategies and working patterns accordingly to meet employees’ expectations and needs in the modern workplace is a topic we often address at Employee Benefits. Yet, despite many organisations’ aims to be seen as an employer of choice in order to recruit ...
-
Article
53% of pension pots accessed under the pension freedoms have been fully withdrawn
More than half (53%) of pension pots that have been accessed through the pension freedoms since their introduction in April 2015 have been fully withdrawn, according to research by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).Its Retirement outcomes review: interim report, which is based on consumer research, retirement income data, sales data, ...
-
Article
Supreme Court rules in favour of same-sex spousal pension in discrimination case
The Supreme Court has ruled that an employee’s spousal pension benefit can be paid to his same-sex partner.The case, Walker v Innospec Limited, relates to retiree John Walker, who worked for global chemical organisation Innospec between 1980 and 2003. Walker, who paid into the organisation’s occupational pension scheme during his ...
-
Article
96% are confident they are fully compliant with their auto-enrolment duties
More than nine in 10 (96%) employer respondents are confident they are fully compliant with their ongoing auto-enrolment duties, according to research by The Pensions Regulator (TPR).Its Ongoing duties survey: July 2017 report, which surveyed 290 micro employers with 1-4 members of staff, 305 small employers with 5-49 employees, and ...
-
Supplier article
How income drawdown can be utilised to create a tax-efficient pension income
Since the pension freedoms, income drawdown has proved to be a popular option for individuals who want greater control and freedom over how they access their pension savings.However if employees go down the income drawdown route, they will need to make sure they don’t pay any unnecessary income tax. Usually ...
-
Article
FTSE 350 defined benefit pension deficit falls to £131bn
The accounting deficit of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes for the UK’s largest 350 organisations fell from £134 billion at the end of May 2017 to £131 billion at 30 June 2017, according to research by Mercer.Its Pensions risk survey, which is based on projections and analysis of FTSE 350 ...
-
Article
Confessions of a benefits manager: Candid gets bad service
I might be a bit lazy and easily distracted, but I can tell you I am a productivity ninja compared to the people I have to work with. Let's take my colleague, Lazy Susan. For her, work is just a place to catch up on her social media. Susan's career ...
-
Article
Standard Life employee’s transfer value complaint is rejected by Pensions Ombudsman
The Pensions Ombudsman has rejected a complaint by a Standard Life employee regarding the provision of a second cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) within 12 months of a previous request.The complainant, Mr Y, is a deferred member of the Standard Life staff pension scheme who was considering transferring his deferred ...
-
Article
Skanska agrees £300m pension longevity hedge
The trustees of construction organisation Skanska’s pension scheme have agreed a longevity hedge for the scheme, covering £300 million in member liabilities.The hedge has been agreed between the Skanska Construction Services Trustees for the Skanska Pension Fund and insurance organisation Zurich. Zurich has reinsured 75% of the hedge with reinsurance ...
-
Article
Defined benefit pension funding deficit falls to £460bn
The funding deficit for defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in the UK was £460 billion at the end of June 2017, according to research by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC).Its Skyval index, which is based on data relating to 5,800 DB pension funds and collected through the Skyval pensions platform used by trustees, ...
-
Article
47% start to save for retirement due to a life stage event
Almost half (47%) of global respondents start to save for retirement because of a life stage event, according to research by Aegon.Its Successful retirement: healthy ageing and financial security report, which surveyed 14,400 employees and 1,600 retired individuals across 15 countries, also found that 32% of global respondents who expect ...
-
Article
Poll: 34% want the new pensions minister to focus on simplifying pensions taxation
Employee Benefits poll: More than one-third (34%) of employer respondents want the new pensions and financial inclusion minister to prioritise the simplification of pensions taxation.A poll of www.employeebenefits.co.uk readers, which received 50 responses, found that 18% of respondents would like the new minister, Guy Opperman, to focus on broader financial ...
-
Article
Retirement income gender gap is £6,400
The annual average expected retirement income for women who are retiring in 2017 is £6,400 lower than the annual average expected retirement income for men retiring this year, according to research by Prudential.Its Class of 2017 report, which surveyed 10,605 non-retired UK adults aged 45 and over, also found that ...
-
Article
38% believe workplace pensions are the safest way to save for retirement
More than a third (38%) of respondents aged under 40 years old or aged 40 and over who have not yet retired believe that a workplace pension scheme is the safest way to save for retirement in the period July 2016-December 2016, according to research by the Office for National ...
-
Supplier article
How employees could avoid losing their pension to scams and fraud
WEALTH at work shares its top tips on how employees could avoid losing their pension to scams and fraudsters.Scams don't look like scams – Scams look and sound legitimate by having very professional looking websites and literature, which is why employees can easily be deceived. Whichever option employees take for ...
-
Article
Government to implement General Data Protection Regulation through Data Protection Bill
The government will implement the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) through the Data Protection Bill, which was announced in the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday 21 June 2017.The GDPR, which been designed to protect EU citizens from privacy and data breaches, will include mandatory breach notifications delivered in a 72-hour period ...
-
Supplier article
Is it a good idea for employees to transfer out of a defined benefit pension scheme?
Since the pension changes we have seen a rise in employees wanting to transfer their defined benefit (DB) pension scheme into defined contribution (DC) pensions, so that they can also benefit from the pension freedoms.However, transferring from a DB pension scheme can mean that employees will be giving up valuable ...
-
Article
Coats agrees £74m settlement in pension scheme anti-avoidance case
Industrial thread manufacturing organisation Coats Group has agreed a £74 million settlement for one of its defined benefit (DB) pension schemes, which will bring an anti-avoidance case brought by The Pensions Regulator (TPR) to an end.The settlement relates to the Staveley Industries Retirement Benefits Scheme (SIRBS), which is one of ...