State pensions play their part in women's pension provision

In my article last week, I argued that there is a real need for more private pension provision for women. But that does not mean we should overlook the value of state benefits and the way they affect advice because of the interaction with private provision. Granted, the basic old age pension, at £72.50 a week, may not be much to get excited about, but second-tier state benefits are valuable and should not be ignored. This is of particular importance for women, precisely because they are more likely to have to rely on state benefits in retirement. Some state benefits are of particular impo...