Pensions minister Guy Opperman leaves post after record five years

Hexham MP confirms he was ‘relieved of duties’ earlier this month

Hope William-Smith
clock • 1 min read

The UK’s longest serving pensions minister, MP Guy Opperman, has left the post after a record 1,913 days in office.

Opperman today (20 September) said he was "relieved of his duties" on 8 September but had refrained from making the news public until after the period of mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. His record-long period as pensions minister at the Department for Work and Pensions saw the lifting of auto-enrolment (AE) workplace pensions to 8% savings per annum and a 44 percentage point increase in the number of women and young people in workplace arrangements. "We passed the ground-breaking Pensions Schemes Act 2021 through parliament," Opperman added. "The act has secured ou...

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

Retirees feel regret after rushing to take out tax-free cash

Retirees feel regret after rushing to take out tax-free cash

Chancellor urged to provide earlier clarity ahead of 2026 budget

Isabel Baxter
clock 02 July 2026 • 3 min read
Third Financial launches white-labelled SIPP

Third Financial launches white-labelled SIPP

Titan Wealth first client to use service

Jenna Brown
clock 29 June 2026 • 1 min read
Environmental due diligence for SIPP/SSAS is as important as ever

Environmental due diligence for SIPP/SSAS is as important as ever

Environmental due diligence isn't just a ‘tick-box'

Caitlin Southall
clock 29 June 2026 • 4 min read