6 Acknowledged

Government information failed to disclose loss of pension scheme government guarantee.

Conclusion
None of the information government provided to scheme members told them the government guarantee would be lost if they transferred their accrued benefits into the new pension scheme.7 We asked GAD why members were not told this, and whether the note it had provided at the time was therefore misleading. GAD said it did not believe the note was misleading, and that it was intended to assist members with making decisions over their pensions rather than be financial advice which members could depend upon. GAD noted that while the information provided to members did not tell them the new scheme would not have a government guarantee, it had never indicated that the new scheme would still have one either. GAD also argued that some information provided made references to the possibility that the scheme could fail.8 However, those same references also stated that pension scheme assets are protected in law.9
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the complexity of pension decisions and outlines various initiatives like the Stronger Nudge to Pensions Guidance, mid-life MOT, and Pensions Dashboards to support people in making informed decisions about their pensions, without directly addressing the conclusion about the specific loss of government guarantee information.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government Acknowledged
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: September 2023 The government recognises that decisions about pensions can be complex and significant. The government will write to the Committee setting out the action it is taking to support people to make informed decisions about their pensions by encouraging the use of appropriate advice and guidance and reducing the complexity of decisions savers are required to take. The government has recently taken significant steps to support people to make informed decisions about their pensions. The Stronger Nudge to Pensions Guidance ensures no-one accesses Defined Contribution pension savings without receiving Pension Wise guidance, or actively opting out of receiving it. The government is delivering the mid-life MOT in Jobcentre plus offices nationally; employers in the North East, East Anglia, and Devon and Cornwall through private sector providers; and launched an improved digital service in July 2023. The mid-life MOT provides and signposts to guidance around careers, health and finances, including pensions. On 19 July 2023, the government made regulations with a new approach to delivery of Pensions Dashboards that allows the government to work more collaboratively with the pensions industry. The government remains as committed as ever to making pensions dashboards a reality and is ambitious about their delivery. The government is confident that this re-appraised approach will enable it to make significant progress on delivering dashboards safely and securely, enabling consumers to take advantage of their benefits to plan for retirement.
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age 3.1 yrs
Report published 14 Jun 2023