Protecting pension savers – five years on from the Pension Freedoms: Accessing pension savings

Work and Pensions Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 23 Feb 2021 Closed: 21 Oct 2022 Parliament page
This inquiry is looking at how savers are prepared and protected to move from saving for retirement to using their pension savings. This is the second of our three-part inquiry, looking at decisions make about accessing their pensions. We concluded taking evidence on our first part, pension scams, in January … Read more
24 Recommendations
9 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
3 Letters
5 Events
Activity timeline 10 events
6 Jul
2022
Correspondence
27 Apr
2022
Report published
18 Jan
2022
Report published
2 Dec
2021
Correspondence
24 Nov
2021
Correspondence
8 Nov
2021
Oral evidence
25 Oct
2021
Oral evidence
22 Sep
2021
Oral evidence
21 Jul
2021
Oral evidence
16 Jun
2021
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
8 Nov 2021
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Anna Harvey · HM Treasury Guy Opperman · Department for Work and Pensions John Glen · HM Treasury Pete Searle · Department for Work and Pensions
25 Oct 2021
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Angela Gough · Royal Mail David Pitt-Watson · Cambridge University Simon Eagle · Institute and Faculty of Actuaries The Baroness Altmann CBE
22 Sep 2021
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Alex Connolly · Money and Pensions Service Carolyn Jones · Money and Pensions Service Chris Curry · Money and Pensions Service David Fairs · The Pensions Regulator Sarah Pritchard · The Financial Conduct Authority
21 Jul 2021
View on parliament.uk
Protecting pension savers –five years on from the Pension Freedoms: Accessing pension savings
Colin Clarke · Legal and General Laura Myers · Lane, Clark & Peacock Matthew Arends · Aon Peter Glancy · Scottish Widows Philip Brown · B&CE, the People’s Pension Rachel Vahey · AJ Bell Stephen Lowe · Just Group
16 Jun 2021
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Chris Brooks · Age UK Dr Julia Mundy · Financial Services Consumer Panel Joe Dabrowski · Pension and Lifetime Savings Association Laurie Edmans · Financial Inclusion Commission Paul McBride · The Society of Pension Professionals Renny Biggins · The Investing and Saving Alliance Tess Page · Association of Consulting Actuaries Yvonne Braun · ABI
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth report - Protecting pension savers—five years on from the … HC 237 18 Jan 2022 33 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
Clear
4 Recommendation Not Addressed
Fifth report - Protecting pension …
People can usually take up to 25% of their pension as a tax-free lump sum.
People can usually take up to 25% of their pension as a tax-free lump sum. This is one of the most well-known UK pension policies and leads to many people who access their pensions for the first time taking poor … Read more
Government Response
The government response focuses on Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) schemes and doesn't address the recommendation to research decoupling the tax-free portion of pension pots. It is therefore not addressed.
Department for Work and Pensions
View details
5 Conclusion Not Addressed
Fifth report - Protecting pension …
We were told that most savers want a reliable income in retirement.
We were told that most savers want a reliable income in retirement. Annuities provide this for savers with defined contribution pensions, but have dramatically fallen in use since the introduction of pension freedoms. The transition from defined benefit schemes to … Read more
Government Response
The government's response discusses the code of practice for CDC pension schemes instead of addressing the observation about the decline in annuity use. Therefore it is not addressed.
Department for Work and Pensions
View details
24 Conclusion Not Addressed
Fifth report - Protecting pension …
Most guidance is currently delivered by individuals, which is costly, or through written communication, which...
Most guidance is currently delivered by individuals, which is costly, or through written communication, which is unengaging. In future we envisage a significant proportion of guidance or triage services will be delivered through digital tools. This should be a key … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the benefits of consultation and announces that the NMPA will rise to 57 in April 2028. This does not address the need for digital tools in guidance, so is classified as not addressed.
Department for Work and Pensions
View details
Government Response AI assessment · 33 of 24 classified
Accepted 6
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 13
Deferred 7
Not Addressed 3
Rejected 3
Total 24 recs + 9 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
6 Jul 2022 Correspondence from Money and Pension Service about the Committee’s Report on accessing pension savings
Parliament page
2 Dec 2021 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Minister for Pensions and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, following the evidence session on 8 November
Parliament page
24 Nov 2021 Correspondence with FCA and TPR following up on the 22 September evidence session – Accessing pension savings
Parliament page