ABI urges govt to scrap mandatory pensions freedom GAR advice

clock •

Mandatory advice on pension freedom cases with guaranteed annuity rates worth more than £30,000 should be scrapped and replaced with a ‘customer control' mechanism delivered through the Pension Wise service, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has said.

The ABI said it had written to Chancellor George Osborne and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) chief executive Martin Wheatley to push its proposal which it said would tackle pensions freedom "implementation challenges". The ABI said its customer control mechanism would allow people with guaranteed annuity rates with pension assets in excess of £30,000 to gain access to their pension pot without having to pay for advice. It said the mechanism should be delivered through a specific guidance session by Pension Wise or the Pension Advisory Service (TPAS), and enshrined in a protocol agre...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Pensions

Triple lock played 'important role' but it would 'always need to end'

Triple lock played 'important role' but it would 'always need to end'

Pensions industry reacts to triple lock change

Holly Roach
clock 30 September 2026 • 4 min read
Triple lock changes welcome but 'cannot solve' national care problem

Triple lock changes welcome but 'cannot solve' national care problem

‘The sooner the government comes clean on these plans the better’

Sophia Panayi
clock 30 September 2026 • 6 min read
'The interesting thing about Burnham's triple-lock plan isn't the triple lock'

'The interesting thing about Burnham's triple-lock plan isn't the triple lock'

'Look past the mechanism and something more interesting is happening'

Tony Müdd
clock 30 September 2026 • 5 min read